The Tin Man's Lament
by Nancie
Summary: "A book?" She asked, taking the item out of the bag. "'The Narrative of John Smith'. Huh, I thought you didn't like literature, Doctor." "This book's different." "How so?" "…It just is." Reid/OC.
1. Un

**_Hey Everyone!_**

**_I'm new to the Criminal Minds fanfic world, but to those who have been reading my other fanfictions, hello again! I've had this fic bunny running around in my head and twenty thousand words later, here we are. I'm very excited for you all to enjoy my original character, as well as enjoy my spin on dealing with serial killers (I usually stick with lawyers so this shall be interesting). Trust me, this story is just heating up and I want to get it all out as soon as possible, so have some faith!_**

**_To all those wondering about my Suits fic "The Portrait of Gamophobia"; I have the next chapter! It's in editing!_**

**_I hope you all enjoy this first chapter!_**

**_P.S. I don't own Criminal Minds._**

* * *

><p><em>One, two, three<em>.

She knew one thing.

_One, two, three_.

Well, she knew a lot more than one thing.

_One, two, three_.

Caroline could talk her ear off.

Her phone was glued to the side of her head as she enjoyed the cold, sunny morning. Bundled up tight, the bright orange leaves crunched underneath her Chucks as she walked to her first class. The University of Richmond was kind to her, being this her fifth year at the school. She loved the atmosphere, and considering her age, everyone was nice to her. Although she did get the occasional tease, as well as the whisper of astonishment as she walked into class.

Still listening to Caroline talk of her apparent romantic encounter with a '_brand new stud-muffin'_, her leather backpack was low against her as she twirled a piece of her hair. She was remembering how the bubbly redhead on the phone almost died from shock the day she died her tips hot pink. Now faded to a soft pink, she trudged on, watching students who were either studying, or relaxing and taking a break. She was re-reading _Pride and Prejudice_ (…_I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading! How much sooner one tires of anything than of a book! When I have a house of my own, I shall be miserable if I have not an excellent_...) while listening to Caroline ("_…there were petals everywhere, and Lou, I swear to every God out there, he was wearing nothing but whipped cream and a banana peel_..."), watching people, twirling her hair (one twirl, two twirls, three twirls) and reminding herself she only had two minutes to get to class, and she was five minutes away.

At least it wasn't her fault.

"Thanks for the ditching me at breakfast again, by the way."

She heard an exasperated sigh from the other line.

"_Well, as I was explaining to you why I didn't show up-_"

"Yes, your boyfriend is an exhibitionist. A poor excuse for missing breakfast with your best friend."

She waited for the apology.

"_Look, I'm sorry, Lou._" She could tell Caroline meant it. "_You know how I get easily distracted by things that are… male_."

She rolled her eyes. "Yes, I am aware. And sorry for that passive aggressiveness. That was me being rude."

"_Shit. You're admitting when you're wrong?_"

"Don't even say it."

She could hear the smile in her voice. "_What? The fact that you're breaking routine? How odd for someone like you._"

"I get it. Thank you for your input."

"_Oh for Christ's sake, you are the blandest person in the world. You do realize you spent your birthday at a conference._"

"It was a presentation on the physical and mental impact children have from the hidden curriculum theory. It was informative and educational."

"_It was a nerdy, sociology conference, and you loved every second of it_."

"…I admit to nothing."

"_Lou, I am taking you out to drinks soon. No self-respecting woman turns thirty without being shitfaced drunk-_"

"Professor Richardson!"

Hot pink Chucks stopped in their tracks.

_Oh no._

"Caroline, I've got to go."

Without hearing her best friend's goodbye, which _was_ routine for her, Professor Elena Lucille "Lou" Richardson turned to face one of her students rushing towards her. _Grey varsity football sweater, blond, sits in the third back row, listens sometimes_. Lou watched as the large freshman almost pummelled into her frame. He had been nervous, his hands glistening as he tried to steady his breaths. He took his backpack off of his shoulders, and to her it could have meant one of two things. One, he needed help on the assignment due in a month, or two, he was giving his assignment due later that day in order to avoid class. She wasn't a rocket scientist, but Lou was a professor at the age of twenty five. So, maybe, she was a _little_ smart.

"Yes?" She asked, trying to sound curious.

"Could I give you my assignment right now? I have a huge midterm right after your lecture and I haven't studied that well…"

She listened to him lie as she remembered four lectures ago, where his buddy had invited him for a beer after the hour, to which she read his lips as he responded, "_sure, I'm done for the day after she shuts up about fucking Slaughterhouse 5"._ Lou wanted to be mean and say no. She wanted to tell him that he wasn't getting special treatment. Her student would never excel in her course if he kept avoiding responsibilities.

But that wasn't her.

"I'll take it." Lou watched the happiness light up on his face as he dug into his backpack, pulling out the assignment. _Clean, proper format, creative title… and one of the harder topics._ So he was lying about something, but possibly telling a half-truth about the midterm. Maybe he wasn't such an irresponsible kid.

"But next time you try to pull this off, I'll give you back a zero. You are not above anyone else in the course. Do you understand?"

The student nodded, looking sincere. "Yeah, Professor. I understand."

Lou walked away from the student before she could continue disciplining him further. Now she was officially five minutes late, with another four minutes on top. She picked up her pace, moving from a speedy walk to a brisk jog as she swiftly avoided causalities of her attempt at running. That bought her another minute as she entered the building, slowing down in the empty hallway to catch her breath. Turning the corner with the lecture hall in sight, she also spotted her colleague Jeffrey Hill with a smirk on his face.

"Late again, Elena."

_Oh good Lord, find something else to do than be a hall-monitor._

"Yes, well, sometimes life throws unexpected curveballs."

"You understand euphemisms?" Hill asked, poking fun at her youth.

"One, I am an English professor. It's my job to grasp the concept. Two, it's actually a figure of speech using personification and imagery. Maybe you'd like to grasp that concept."

"Curveball is a euphemism."

Lou sighed in frustration, standing outside the lecture hall.

"Euphemism is only used when trying to substitute an unpleasant word or phrase. In this case, it does not fit properly."

Pulling the heavy door open (one turn, two turns, three turns), her slender frame nimbly walked through the threshold, the auditorium was filled with voices of casual conversation. Throwing her books onto the table, she looked to her students. She had fifty-six students in her third year course, and all of them were as passionate about literature as she was. It was her nine am class on Wednesday, and it was her favourite one to teach, as it was her specialty. Once her powerpoint was up, and her books were open, she looked to her students; some had their fingers on their keyboards, others had pens in their hands. Most of them were eagerly ready to learn.

"Sorry for the late start. Lesson number one for today, don't read _Pride and Prejudice_ while listening to your best friend's sexual encounters."

Her class gave a light laugh, the unfiltered jokes were familiar to the students.

"Leading off of _Alice in Wonderland_, we talked about last class how Carroll creates a fantasy world that counters the world of authority…"

[ + ]

His fingers drummed against his bag.

_The Narrative of John Smith_.

Spencer read a lot. His mother always read him 15th century literature, with hints of the other centuries every once in a while, but he remembered every single book he read on his own, and he loved it. However, he preferred reading of Quantum Physics, or A Sociological Perspective on Pedophiles in Society, or Dante's _Divine Comedy_ from the original manuscript. He was never fond of most English literature, until he read the Narrative of John Smith. His whole life changed after the book, the book that was sitting in his bag, was given to him.

Reid's fingers continued to drum against his bag, the '_thunk_' vibrating off the book and leather echoed in the elevator.

He was having one of his bad days.

He dreamt of the phone call. When she told him she loved him. He remembered the texture of the plastic receiver, and the cold, metal wire connecting it to the payphone. He heard the anxiety in her voice. How scared she was. But mostly, Reid remembered the soft, rushing sound of her breaths, and her sweet voice uttering two words that caused his heart to paralyze for what he thought was for an hour.

"_Love you_."

The doors slid open.

Clutching his bag, Reid walked towards the glass doors, pushing them open as he willed his fingers to stop the constant tapping. The bullpen was empty, save for Hotch in his office, frantically doing paperwork. He eventually noticed JJ's blond ponytail bouncing around by the coffee pot as Spencer walked towards his desk, shrugging his bag off, dropping it on the ground without a care. Sighing in his hands, his cool palm was comforting against his face, elbows digging into the table. If he wanted to hide his mood, he was doing a poor job at it.

Working with profilers could be torture sometimes.

"Rough morning, Spence?"

Jennifer's caring voice always put Spencer at ease. Even when he developed a crush for her, he'd always known she would look out of him. He shrugged his shoulders, not really in the mood to talk.

"It's been one of those days," was all Reid had to say.

Like a switch flicking on in her head, JJ understood perfectly what Reid was talking about. He had missed Maeve, and understandably so. Today was a day that Spencer was having trouble getting through each hour, even though it had just began. She leaned against his desk as he sat in his chair, grasping onto his shoulder. She looked at Spence, watching the corner of his mouth lift up slightly, which was all JJ needed.

"You know I'm always here to talk."

Reid nodded, "I know, JJ. Thank you."

"Thank merciful _heavens_." A mass of pink and purple came parading through as Garcia clutched her iPad, making her way towards Reid and JJ. "I always can count on Wonder Boy being here early."

"What's going on, Garcia?" JJ asked the tech.

"Can't tell you, yet. Waiting for the whole team. But not to worry, Rossi, Callahan, and Chocolate Thunder are heading over here so you can head over there. I'll be briefing you in less than a mo'."

"I left my go bag in my locker." Spencer said to the two ladies as he stood up.

"Not to worry_, mon cher._" Garcia smiled at the two. "This time, it's local."

JJ looked at Garcia, astonished. "Really?"

"Oh yeah. You guys are headed to one of the police divisions. Give Hotch a minute to finish up the paperwork with the state police. This time it's a priority."

"Who's the victim?" Reid asked from his seat.

"_Victims_, unfortunately. Body count now up to three. The last body was found at the University of Richmond less than ten minutes ago."

[ + ]

"How would you characterize Alice? Leah?"

"Her mannerisms show she's polite," one of her most enthusiastic students added in.

"Good, and how would you use an example of this?"

Lou pointed to a gentlemen in the middle.

"She uses proper forms of address when talking to authoritative figures."

"Do you think it's satirical? What Carroll writes?" Lou prompted her student.

He continued, "I think it is intentional, but it's based on your interpretation."

The professor's eyes lit up. "Explain yours."

"Alice rebels against authority. She's naturally curious, and authoritative figures get in the way of Alice's interests, which is why she's mocking in her address to her charges."

Lou couldn't keep the smile off of her face. "Interesting interpretation."

Before she could continue with her lecture, the doors to the auditorium opened, revealing the head of the English department, Liam McKennis. Confused, Liam's concerned face was all Lou could read before he approached her, leaning to whisper into her ear.

"Keep your face neutral. Jeffrey Hill was found dead on campus."

Lou had tried, but she could feel her face growing pale.

"When?" she looked to her colleague.

"They found him half an hour ago, just outside this building. I'm letting all the professors know to keep all their students in the classroom-"

"To keep them safe, I understand."

William McKennis really liked Elena Richardson. While she was significantly younger than his fellow colleagues, she still was ten times more professional than half of the professors on campus (she was also smarter than all of them, but he'd never admit that out loud). She was dedicated to the job, never took a sick day, and was the only professor that had students who produced a 1.76% plagiarism rate. Was it the knowledge that Professor Richardson had read hundreds of thousands of essays on each topic she taught to prevent plagiarism? Most likely, since no one messed with her and her eidetic brain.

Liam nodded to her, walking out of the room. Lou turned to find her students curious, but alert. They had known something was wrong. She made a decision (one that she shouldn't have made, but decided to anyways), closing the small novel to give her focus to her students.

"You aren't children. So I'm not going to treat you like you are."

The classmates looked to one another.

"Professor Hill has passed away."

Some of the classmates didn't react, some were in shock.

But there was one student who unravelled everything.

"Professor, I saw Hill this morning. Barely an hour ago. How could he be dead?"

Lou rubbed her hands together. One of her nervous ticks.

"His body was found on campus thirty minutes ago."

"Someone _killed_ him?" A young woman asked in the second row.

"I'm not sure, I don't have any information. All I've been given is to keep you all in this room."

"_You_ could find out something, Professor." Leah had offered.

The man who answered Lou's questions earlier chided in as well, "Did they say you had to be in the room?"

"Not specifically…" Lou didn't like where the tone of his voice was leading to.

"So you'd be able to figure something out." The man had said.

Another student added in. "The police have to know something."

"We won't leave the room," Leah promised.

Lou thought of how easily she could be manipulated as she walked out of her classroom (with next week's tests in her hand… she didn't trust anyone with these), trying to hunt down a police officer. Not thinking of her safety, she should have thought about who would dare try to kill Jeffrey, let alone kill him on campus, in front of people, in the middle of the day. She should have pitied the poor man for being murdered.

Lou could only think of was why it took someone so long to try.

[ + ]

"_Jeffrey Hill, a professor at the university was found behind a building on campus with one slight difference in appearance: he had his eyeballs scratched out_."

"Same as the other victims," Morgan stated.

"Do we know with what?" Rossi asked Garcia, as Morgan was driving with Reid in the back. JJ was riding with Hotch and Callahan, and Reid had to bite his tongue when he was going to ask to ride with JJ. Her reaching out to him made him want to cling to her as a security blanket, but Spencer knew he couldn't do that. He must fight his own battles, especially the ones he had to go through. Reid shut his mind out of his personal issues as he listened to the phone in Rossi's hand.

"_State police have found nothing. No prints, no murder weapon. This was the first victim found in broad daylight_," Garcia's voice came through the speaker.

"_The unsub's getting bold, isn't he_?" Kate chimed in, "_Two weeks between the first and second victim, and only a day between the second and third_."

"_He's escalating quickly, maybe he's not getting the gratification he needs."_ JJ said to the team.

Morgan added his perspective. "Could be that the most recent victim wouldn't cooperate with his demands. Based on the time they were last seen, and the time of death, the unsub mustn't have had enough time to enjoy their kill. "

"_Garcia, do we think it could be someone on campus targeting the victims_?" Hotch asked.

"_Give me one second my fearless leader, and- hello, looks like this sicko is choosing the university as a twisted playground. Martin Combs had graduated two years ago while Rory Washmund used to be a teaching assistant for philosophy until losing his job a year prior_."

"Not a coincidence," Reid mumbled to himself.

Morgan looked at him through the rear view mirror.

"You say something, kid?"

Reid cleared his throat, "Garcia, look for other connections with the victims. The first two victims haven't been on campus for more than a year. There has to be something that overlaps, and it's not the university."

"_Done and done, I will get back to you after my babies work overtime. Penny out_."

"Victimology is completely scattered. Three males, all different ages and races. Even different occupations. What does the unsub find important about all these men?"

As Rossi strategized with the team, Morgan looked over to the youngest member. He could tell Reid wasn't fully listening, absent in his own world. He couldn't blame the kid; Spencer's mind was so big, he was bound to be lost every once in a while. Pulling into the school near the crime scene, Morgan snuck a text to Hotch, asking to be paired with Reid today. Maybe Morgan could get through to him. Parking in the spot as Rossi hung up the phone, Morgan got a text back from Hotch.

'_If that's what you prefer_.'

Rossi, Reid, JJ, Morgan, Hotch and Callahan all met at the sidewalk, listening to Hotch's instructions.

"JJ, you head to the morgue, see if anything on the other two victims can lead to a motive. Rossi, you and I will head over to see the latest victim to assess the scene. Morgan, I want you and Reid to speak with anyone that might have come in contact with the victim around his time of death. Callahan, I want you to speak with the victim's wife; learn everything you can about his relationships with the people who matter most to him. We need to figure this out quickly before the press gets a hold of this. The Bureau wants this done as soon as possible. Let's get to work."

Morgan and Reid broke from the group as they made their way towards the office of the head of the History department. Reid remembered everything Garcia had given him on the ride over. Jeffrey Hill mostly taught a freshman's course on World War I and II, as well as subjects on American Civil War. He was mostly quiet as Morgan spoke with a few students directing him to the right office. A few minutes later, they had arrived to the right building.

"Reid, is there something going on?" Derek finally broke as they walked the empty hallways.

He just shrugged. "Nothing that's concerning."

He eyed the kid, wondering if it was about Maeve, or something else, or a combination of the two.

"You sure?" Morgan asked, which Spencer nodded in response.

"I think Hotch knows I'm off my game," the younger of the two said suddenly.

"And why is that?"

"Usually when a body has some form of mutilation, he brings me to the crime scene to asses it."

Morgan had no idea why he was surprised that Spencer could feel the shift in dynamics, but he wasn't going to comment on it as they approached the office door. Knocking quickly, the door opened soon after.

"Can I help you?" A woman asked.

"Ma'am, I'm Supervisory Special Agent Derek Morgan of the FBI, this is my partner Doctor Spencer Reid. We'd like to ask you a few questions-"

"This is about Jeffrey, isn't it?"

Derek hesitated for a moment.

"Yes, it is."

She nodded, pushing the door open further to allow both men into her office. As they both walked into the warm office, Spencer saw the photo album of the small family. Husband, two sons. The name "_Fiona LaFleur_" was etched onto the metal plate on her desk as she walked around the large mahogany surface to sit on the other side. Reid sat beside Morgan on the less than comfortable chairs.

"We're truly sorry about Jeffrey, Ma'am."

Fiona bit her lip.

"I'm not one to speak ill of the dead, but with Jeffrey, he won't be missed as much."

Morgan and Reid shared a look with one another.

"To get to the point," Fiona continued, "Jeffrey was an ass, and he liked being an ass to anyone he could talk to. He didn't hurt anyone physically, but he sure loved to harass the shit out of them. Especially Elena."

"Elena…" Morgan drawled out, pulling out his notepad.

"Richardson," LaFleur finished for Morgan, "Professor Elena Richardson. She's in the English department."

Before Morgan could wonder about it, Reid had already said it.

"Why would a History professor go out of his way to harass an English professor? Their paths would most likely not cross."

"The English Building is under construction. The board dispersed and relocated the entire English department to several other buildings. Jeffrey's office was just across the hall from Elena's temporary one."

Both Reid and Morgan received a text from Hotch.

'_Coroner says Hill died under an hour ago_.'

Reid thought her words over. "Was there any reason for Professor Hill to target Professor Richardson?"

"Considering Jeffrey Hill has almost twenty years of teaching experience, yet Elena has proven to be a much better teacher than he is… yeah, I'd say he felt a little threatend that a woman her age could surpass him."

_A woman her age_, Reid thought it odd the way Fiona LaFleur had said that sentence.

"Even today, he seemed to be more of a nosy son of a bitch."

"What do you mean by that?" Derek had asked.

"Just before Elena's class, he stopped her in the middle of the hallway, irking her about some trivial English terms. My co-worker told me as I was making photocopies. It sounded like he was waiting for her so he could pick a fight."

"What time was this at?"

"A bit after nine, I believe?"

The two agents looked to each other, realizing a very key point in the case.

"Where's the lecture hall?" Reid asked, standing up from his seat.

"In the next building over. Room ten-eighty."

_The building where the body was found outside of._

"Excuse me," Spencer said, shutting the door behind him, intent on finding this Elena.

Because Professor Elena Richardson was the last person to see the victim alive.

[ + ]

"Why do I do this to myself?"

Lou had begun to feel the irrational fear that someone had been watching her. She felt this when she was alone in hallways, stairwells, and dead street corners. Thinking rationally about her situation, she made her way back to the lecture hall. She had found two police officers, and none of them were willing to give up any information regarding the incident that happened, quickly telling her _"no students allowed outside of classrooms_" (Lou had wanted to say something but thought better of it). Sourly, she made her way back to her classroom, bitter at the fact she was kept out of the loop. Quickly clutching the test in front of her, Lou scanned the room from side to side, making sure there was no one out to get her.

"Why do I always listen to them? I always fall for this-"

But Lou should have looked straight ahead first.

The papers fell from her grasp as she let go in order to put her hands out defensively. The person she had almost run into held onto her as she ran straight into the chest of an unknown human being. The said unknown human being grabbed onto the top of her arms, making sure she hadn't fallen over.

Lou finally registered that she had run into someone, meeting their gaze.

He was very tall, with a mess of light brown hair piled at the top of his head, just reaching the tops of his ear. Cleaned up nicely, she noticed, with his crisp dress shirt, and tie. Kind eyes, and Lou could tell he had a great smile. She couldn't help but be drawn to his strong chin (_why would I like his chin? And… oh, that is kind of a nice jaw line_).He had a soft look to him, something that resembled a more subordinate masculinity than hegemonic. _Oh, for crying out loud, I'm using sociological terms to describe people now?_

"I'm so sorry," she rushed out, leaning down to pick up the tests she had dropped.

"No, _I'm_ sorry." The foreign man bent down to help her pick up the papers she had let go of.

"I usually am aware of exactly where I'm headed," the gentleman pointed out.

"Oh, well so am I. Looks like we've both got our heads in the clouds."

The man had looked confused for a moment, giving her the rest of the papers.

"Daydreaming." Lou knew the '_I-don't-understand-that-reference_' look, no matter what face it was on. "I was referring to daydreaming."

The man seemed to have grasped that concept, but brushed it away.

"I'm looking for Professor Elena Richardson. Would you happen to know where she is?"

_Changing the topic unexpectedly. Could be Asperger's. Could be he's doing his job._

"Uh, right here." Lou stuck out her thumb, pointing to herself.

The surprise on his face was different from any other times she'd seen the look. It was more of a surprise from disbelief, rather than the shock she was used to seeing. The man in front of her didn't look at her as if he couldn't believe she was smart, but rather she felt he looked at her as if there was some familiarity among finding out who she is.

_He has to be my age, at least._

Digging into his pockets, he pulled out what she noticed was a leather object. She soon saw the badge, and the 'FBI' logo standing out behind his credentials.

"My name is Doctor Spencer Reid, I work with the FBI and the Behavioural Analysis Unit-"

"The BAU?" Lou asked, stunned. "You guys are really big with the sociology Profs. Me as well, of course…"

Before Spencer could respond, a look of clarity crossed over Lou's face.

"You deal with serial killers. That must mean… Jeffrey was a victim of a serial attack."

Spencer avoided her conclusion, asking his own questions.

"Are you aware that you were the last known person to speak to him?"

Lou kept her jaw from dropping. "Well, I am now."

"Was there anything different about this time that he approached you?"

She crossed her arms, "No. He was his typical… _charming_ self. You probably know by now he and I didn't get along very well. But today, there was nothing out of the ordinary."

"And you didn't see anything?"

She shook her head, "I saw Jeffrey's black button-up that wasn't buttoned properly. His shoes had more dirt on the left than on the right. His hair hadn't been washed in two days and he had forgotten to brush his teeth this morning. But either than that, I'm sorry Doctor Reid. I didn't notice anything that had stood out."

As she was speaking, Reid received a message from Morgan on his phone.

'_The victim had a fight with his wife recently._'

"Could you tell if he had any marital problems?"

Lou shook her head. "No. Although he was unpleasant, his wife was just the same. She came around a lot, and they were harmoniously unpleasant together. Well, now that I think about it, he only had a problem with haircuts."

Before Reid could understand what she meant by that comment, the woman put her hands up.

"I only say this because his wife is beautiful with super long hair. Jeffrey loved it on her. He even called her Rapunzel one time. But I knew she wanted a haircut. Don't look at me like that, I can easily read lips from across a hallway. Did you know, _Rapunzel _actually originated from a story written by Charlotte-Rose de la Force called _Persinette_, which had borrowed elements from Basile's story _Petrosinella_? But that's only one version of the story."

Lou clamped a hand over her mouth before she could continue.

"Sorry, I have a habit of fixating on things."

She saw what she believed to be the first real smile he had put on his face. He was genuinely amused at her. It was an odd reaction to Lou, as she was accustomed to either people looking at her confused, or more so rolling their eyes at her inability to filter her thoughts. But the man in front of her did not look to mock her, or belittle her. He smiled, because he thought her rambling was amusing.

"Look." Lou tried to suppress the connection she had felt with him. It was too comfortable to be normal, especially with her inability to be comfortable around any new person. "I've got a classroom that could possibly not be filled with my students, and I really should get back to them, if they are there-"

"Let me walk you to the room."

Before Lou could refuse, he had begun walking.

"There is a serial killer out there."

She didn't have to be told twice as she walked side-by-side with the interesting Doctor Reid. He looked to be experienced, but knowing that it took years to get into the BAU (Lou had heard of the greatness that was the BAU and did all the research she could on the program when deciding her profession), she knew he must have joined young. Which meant the Doctor fast-tracked. Which meant he was probably as smart as she was.

"What's your IQ?" Lou asked, crossing her arms as the tests sat on her chest.

"One-eighty-seven." He answered with no hesitation. A truth.

Lou almost had her eyes fall out from their sockets.

"Damn it. And I thought my one-seventy-one was impressive."

He allowed himself another smile. "Did you write the alternate test?"

"For fun."

"Isn't the question on exponents hilarious?"

"Are you kidding me? I hate math and I could do exponential functions while translating Rumi and mapping organic chemistry in my sleep."

"How old are you?" Dr. Spencer Reid asked her suddenly.

"Just turned thirty yesterday."

"Happy Birthday."

Lou scrunched her nose up. "Thanks."

"You're welcome," Spencer had easily missed her sarcasm, and Lou couldn't help but laugh.

"What's so funny?" The doctor asked the professor.

"Just…" Lou was trying to gain her breath back. "If you only knew I spent my birthday listening to people speak of Phrenology and Degeneration linking to children."

"Wait, in sociology? Aren't you an English professor?"

"I have a Master's in sociology. Give me another year, and I'll get my Ph.D."

"What's your thesis?"

"The effects that female deviants encounter when dealing with societal norms."

Spencer lightly snorted with laughter. "That's a broad topic."

"Then you'll just have to read my dissertation." Lou challenged, causing another smile to grace the agent's features.

"How long have you been with the BAU?" The professor asked the man standing beside her.

"Almost ten years." Spencer said to her.

"And you've lost count of how many people you've put away, right?"

Before Reid could respond, he heard her cutting in.

"Nevermind. Your IQ calls for an eidetic memory."

"I'm glad I don't have to tell you that," he said, meaning every word.

"Well you're either eidetic or autodidactic, so-"

"Actually, I'm both."

He heard the screech of her shoes as she came to a stop, and Spencer glanced down at her choice of shoes. Florescent pink Converse shoes. High tops.

"What? Are you _Batman_ too?"

"I don't have the physical capabilities of Bruce Wayne, had Bruce Wayne been a real person and not a fictional character within graphic novels and film."

Lou rolled her eyes, walking past Reid.

"Oh for the love- it's a _joke_. I understand that there is a fine line when dealing with sarcasm but with your IQ you must pick up on some social cues."

"I suffer from mild autism, so no, I miss social cues."

Lou stopped, realizing that her comment was an unfiltered one. So he did have some form of Asperger's. Lou could tell because _she_ used to have the tendency to have topics fly over her head, and could never focus on one conversation without performing a social faux pas. That was Lou almost a decade and a half ago, until her mother taught Elena every metaphor, simile, and types of sarcasm that had helped the Professor with her adolescent issues (which she'd always thank her mother for telling her what '_parking the limo'_ really meant). Even with her mother's guidance, as well as an extensive study in societal norms and taboos, she still made the occasional social mistake. She turned to face this Spencer Reid as she sheepishly wrung her hands together.

"I'm sorry. My psychiatrist used to say my Asperger's borderlines sociopathic tendencies."

The corner of his mouth lifted.

"Was that supposed to be a joke?"

The smile that bloomed over Lou's face was contagious.

"So you _do_ understand humour! Maybe you're not such a lost cause, Doctor."

They got to the lecture hall, where Lou turned to face Spencer.

"You have a card, right?"

Spencer nodded, digging into his pockets to pull out one of his cards. He handed to Elena, who looked at it for a second before pulling a pen from her pocket to scribble on something in the back. She gave him the card, which Spencer saw ten digits making a phone number he would never forget.

"Call me if you need any more information. I'll call you if I remember something."

She had just done his job for him, she noticed as she turned towards the door. Grabbing onto the door handle, she turned to face the doctor.

"It was nice meeting you, Spencer."

She said his name on purpose, because Reid seemed inappropriate, and Agent or Doctor just didn't settle properly with Lou. So she had chosen Spencer, because it encased how she felt about that man at the moment.

_Spencer_… _It really suits him_.

He looked at her, the odd feeling of sadness coming through as he bid her farewell.

"Bye Elena."

She was never Elena. She was always Lou. Yet somehow, it felt kind-of nice that Doctor Reid had called her by her first name. She still hated the name Elena, but she didn't mind Spencer saying it. She smiled at him again, turning the doorknob once, twice, and a third time before pulling it open. To her surprise, every one of her students had remained in their seats, which caused her to forget for a moment about the doctor on the other side of the door who had an IQ of 187, had mild autism, found exponents hilarious, worked with the FBI and apparently wasn't Batman.

"What the- you guys listened to me? How the hell did this happen? This needs to be counted as a social phenomenon."

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><p><em><strong>Hit the subscribe button, and leave a review!<strong>_

_**xoxo N.**_


	2. Deux

_**Hey Everyone!**_

_**I promised myself I would give at least a day in between posting, but I had thought, since I am a few chapters ahead, why the fuck not post a new chapter as a treat? (Sorry Blue, I couldn't wait for your editing this time). I just want to post all the chapters at once because I'm very excited for you guys to not only read about the case, but to further explore the weird stirrings going on between Professor Richardson and Doctor Reid. But I won't because that would be no fun (also, I can be very evil... Muahahahahah).**_

_**Thank you to** _AcklesIdjit, YashiHashi, noobz40, New(period)York(period)Celt, fishtrek, Guest, **_and_ **CalamityBangs **_for leaving such lovely reviews that made me want to post this chapter. Also a thank you to everyone who added me to their alert list (I took a screenshot of all your names!). You guys seriously rock my socks off._**_**  
><strong>_

_**So, here it is!**_

_**Enjoy!**_

_**P.S. CBS owns Criminal Minds (dammit).**_

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><p>The next morning, after Spencer finally got a good night's rest for the first time in a week (coincidently the same day he met Elena), they had found out several things about the unsub. One, the unsub could easily subdue their victims, which required either a lot of strength or the element of surprise. Two, the victims bled out, indicating that the cause of their deaths were from the wounds to their eyes. Three, there was a link between all three victims: they had been at the same school for a long period of time for either work or education. That meant the unsub had found them at UofR and had been stalking them, watching their every move, cataloguing their routine. Four, the unsub was suffering from severe delusions, as the savagery of the kills were too intense to be considered a sadistic kill, as none of the bodies indicated sexual abuse or mutilation, aside from the eyes.<p>

Five (and the oddest point besides the fourth one), each victim was found with grass and roots of several trees in their throats and stomach contents.

JJ was talking to Jenny Washmund, Rory's wife, as Rossi was speaking to Lisa Montage, girlfriend to Martin Combs. Morgan was at the school with Callahan, going over statements again, while Hotch was speaking with Garcia about gaining access to all the victims' computers, trying to find the second link.

Yet the only thing Reid could do, as he looked at the maps and pictures in front of him, was remember the profile he had created on Professor Elena Richardson.

She had an IQ of 171 (which Spencer was mostly fascinated at) and yet she hated math (which fascinated him further). She was passionate about English, evident in her hyperawareness of sarcasm. She looked significantly young to be a professor, and from what William McKennis told him, she was even younger when she started teaching. She had a nervous habit of rubbing her hands together. She held a love for sociology, and was quite intrigued with the BAU. She was thirty years old. Her birthday was October 22nd. Her favourite colour was pink. She wore Chuck Taylors (he'd never admit to thinking '_just like me'_ when he thought of her shoe choice). She had an eidetic memory. She found a way to overcome her Asperger's. Elena had OCD. Elena was apologetic and caring. Elena fixated on things as well. Elena had _really _wanted him to understand humour and sarcasm, to make a personal connection.

Elena had called him Spencer.

"Reid."

Hotchner's voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

"That was the fifth time I had to call you."

"Sorry, Hotch," Reid apologized to his boss.

The older man of the two scanned over the younger man's face.

"You're sure you're alright? We can work the case without-"

"_No._"

Aaron kept his head from being thrown back. Reid had never used such an adamant tone with him, which would have caused alarm had Reid not taken a breath and composed himself. In reality, Reid wasn't angry at Hotch, or Morgan, or JJ for coddling him. He was unyielding in his decision to stay on the case because being on the case meant being active and being active meant going back to the university and possibly try, again, to run into a five foot four, brown and pinked haired English professor that apparently knew a lot about the effects female deviants encounter when dealing with societal norms.

Morgan and Callahan had taken the moment to walk into the office set up for them at the Richmond police station.

"No, Sir." Spencer had rephrased his wishes in a more polite manner. Hotch didn't deserve to be on the receiving end of his animosity.

"Then focus on the case," Hotch asked of Reid, watching the young genius nod and look over to his map. Aaron couldn't help but be worried. It had been a long time since Maeve died, and he had thought Reid was getting better. Then again, it had been much longer since Hailey died, and that pain still haunted him every day. He had to give the kid some time. He'd been doing great these past months, so great that Hotch was expecting Reid to act oddly eventually. Today was possibly Reid's different day, so Hotch would go easy on him.

"Do we know anything new about the victims?" Hotch asked the two newcomers.

Kate took a seat on the closest desk. "Nothing besides what Reid got from Professor Richardson about Hill's obsession over his wife's hair, which his wife confirmed."

"Do the other victims have the same appeal?" Morgan asked.

Hotch nodded his head towards the small interview rooms. "JJ and Rossi should be wrapping up their interviews. We'll find out soon."

Reid had marked off the victims' houses, none of them in range of one another, when Garcia had called Hotch's phone.

"Garcia, you're on speaker."

"_Reid, I don't think I ever told you that you're a genius_."

"You've told me I was a genius on more than ten occasions."

Spencer didn't miss the look Morgan shared with Callahan, small smiles on both their faces. He didn't know what that meant, but he knew he lost something in translation. He held his confusion in as he listened to the godly tech analyst.

"_Indeed I have, my humble nerd. Now, I looked into each victim's lives to see if they shared anything in common; books, sports, movies _-"

"What'd you find, baby girl?" Morgan asked.

"_Zilch, which didn't make sense because why the hell isn't there at least one thing in common? But that was until your Queen realized that I had been looking at this all wrong. So, I pulled a move from the profiler's handbook and stepped away from the victim to look at the family._"

The smile of Derek's face grew. "And what did you find, sweetness?"

"_All the victims' partners are beautiful, and when I say beautiful I mean completely out of their league, with one common feature; all of the women used to have long hair._"

"Used to?" Reid asked.

"_Based off of their Instagram posts, Jenny Washmund received her haircut two days prior to her husband being killed. Lisa Montage cut her hair a week ago, and Marcy Hill posted a picture of her haircut at the salon a day before her husband's death._"

"That's the unifying factor," Callahan said.

"Thanks Garcia." Hotch spoke into the phone.

"_Call me if you need another miracle_."

Reid looked at the board containing the pictures with all the victims. "Jeffrey Hill and his wife had fought over the aesthetics of her hair, clearly indicating that Hill had a huge fascination over the symbolic meaning of it, which could mean the unsub has the same fascination. Hair symbolizes physical strength and virility. It's also a symbol of instinct, female seduction, and physical attraction. Also, different forms of hair carry different connotations: loose hair revolves around adultery, dishevelled is a sign of bereavement, long hair on men is supposed to represent penitence-"

"Any thoughts on how it could relate to the case?" Hotch cut Reid off.

The intelligent man bit his lip as he had not only Hotch, Morgan and Callahan were watching him, Rossi and JJ had come out of their interviews, listening to the conversation.

"None of the other victims were obsessed over long hair, which means it was completely coincidental they all died within weeks from each other." Reid was stating the obvious, which he never did. What Reid was actually doing was telling Hotch he had nothing new to talk about.

The boss looked at his younger colleague, realizing that this was a very _off_ day for Reid. At least by now, Spencer would have had the profile almost up and running. At that moment, the profile wasn't even close to being acceptable, and although Hotch was giving Reid some slack, he couldn't give him the entire rope to hang himself with.

"The unsub uses very thin and sharp instruments to scratch out the victims eyes. All victims were found in public areas that can still hide perpetrators. There were clear signs of remorse. All were fully clothed, no sexual abuse reported. The unsub has a fixation with not only eyes, but with hair as well."

Somehow Hotch knew that his little summary of their findings would be the key that unlocked Reid's mind as he watched Spencer go into overdrive. Reid had a marker in his hand, his arm moving all over the place. He watched letters become words he did not understand, numbers carrying different meanings, arrows being drawn across the board until Reid had no more room. The genius took a step back, sorting through the mess he created, until his eureka moment hit. He turned to face Hotch, the ghost of a smile hiding on his face.

"I think the unsub's a woman."

Morgan shifted his footing. "How so, Reid?"

"Based on the fact that each victim was found in a public place hidden from cameras."

Derek looked to Rossi, who just shrugged.

"I'm not following it either," the Italian said to his co-worker.

"The unsub chose their location because it's in a blind spot to cameras while still displayed to the world. Originally, I had been trying to figure out how the unsub would lure these men to their deaths. Persuasion wouldn't normally work for a man trying to convince another man to come to his location, but in the case of manipulation, it's much easier for a victim to fall into a trap when the trap is a woman crying out for help."

"The women are projections of the unsub," JJ muttered.

Kate sat beside JJ, staring at the boards. "But the men are the ones suffering for it."

"Do we have any other indication as to why the unsub is a woman?" Hotch was trying to ease Reid into his old mindset.

"Each victim and their partner was invasively stalked over the course of a year, which allowed the unsub to not only study their patterns, but to live out the unsub's fantasies. We know the unsub suffers from delusions, and these delusions must be performed a certain way in order for the unsub's fictional life to be fulfilled. The victims died only after each woman received a haircut. The haircuts could be why the unsub would be triggered by these events, possibly her own life being projected onto the women."

"The haircut is the focus." Rossi had made the connection. "There must be some earlier trauma that correlates to haircutting."

JJ looked at Rossi. "But it still doesn't explain why the unsub would force them to eat tree roots?"

Spencer couldn't understand why he thought of it, but David's words had caused him to remember Elena's rant on how Hill and his wife fought over her hair. Elena had mentioned something about the fable _Rapunzel_ that irked him. He remembered the plot of the story. Young girl raised by motherly agent that wasn't related, brief affair with prince, punished by severing of extremely long hair. Although he knew the story, Elena had reminded him that there was more than one version to a story, no matter what the content. If Reid's hunches were right (which they usually were), he needed to get more background information on the fairy tale.

And he knew the exact person to get it from.

Hotch looked to his team. "We need to narrow it down further to create the profile in time- _Reid._"

The entire team shifted to where the doctor _should _have been, following Hotch's line of sight towards the door. Spencer had his bag slung over his shoulders as he buttoned up his jacket. "Spencer!" JJ called out for him as Derek yelled "Reid!" to the kid who ignored him. He walked out of the office, knowing Hotch was going to be absolutely livid when he came back. But Spencer also knew that when he came back, he'd most likely have the profile ready.

Derek turned to his boss.

"Something's wrong."

Aaron had his arms crossed, both equally furious and worried.

"Work on the case. I'll deal with Reid."

[ + ]

"…John Ray beings to frame Humbert Humbert's confession, where the manuscript is only allowed to be passed on after each named character is deceased. Ray's frame narrative indicates both Humbert and Dolores have passed on. His frame narrative also, ironically, breaks moral codes publishing the manuscript. Although he has changed details to protect the innocent, his narrative indicates to the reader to trust nothing you read…"

Lou loved teaching _Lolita._ It had been one of her favourite books her father gave to her when she was thirteen (which, if Lou hadn't been the way she was, would have been extremely inappropriate). She wanted to believe her first year students also found it just as enjoyable, but in truth, less than half opened the book. Should she make half of the midterm on _Lolita_ just to see who read the book? The imp on her shoulder said yes, and the angel on the other side said hell yes.

"Ray had tainted everything by changing the manuscript, as his part in the novel causes the reader to understand that the words you are reading isn't Humbert Humbert's words. It's his words coming from another person's point of view, which makes it unreliable. The only thing that Ray doesn't taint is Lolita's name, whether you decide she's either Lolita or Dolores."

Elena loved multitasking. Doing multiple things at one time kept her sharp and on her toes. Talking about _Lolita_? Piece of cake. She could recite the novel in her head and out loud in two separate languages. Looking at her students? The three individuals in the front row were tediously taking down notes. The further Lou got to the back row, the less people were paying attention. Not that she cared; she was getting paid to talk about her favourite things in the world.

But thinking about Dr. Spencer Reid? That was more like a treat to herself.

Every time she did, she was curious, and excited, and worried. Spencer didn't offer a lot personally, but she found out enough to create a room in the confines of her mind labelled "**Dr. Spencer Reid**". His IQ was the highest she'd ever come across. With this IQ (and the three Ph.D.'s she found out about when she got home and stalked- _researched _the good doctor), he had the intelligence, experience, and capability to become an astrophysicist, or a mathematician, or even a biochemist that could figure out the cure for Cancer easily. But he chose to be an agent of the FBI with the Behaviour Analysis Unit. He chose to dive into the mind of psychopaths and sociopaths in order to save people. If she denied that his credentials not only captivated her, but turned her on, she would be blatantly lying. But Lou's favourite thing that she noticed was that Elena entertained him; Spencer found her funny and wasn't completely oblivious to humour, even with his mild autism.

Lou knew she wanted to see him again. She wanted him to come to the university just to see if she had remembered anything new (she hadn't, and he knew that she wouldn't, which saddened her). What she found endearing was his lack of understanding humour properly. She remembered he was autodidactic, and while she could learn something fast, she could never learn a topic cold turkey. Which made her think: could he learn humour? Could she _teach_ him humour? She spent years identifying and understanding topics deemed "funny", and now she grasped each concept thrown her way, and also found them funny (Lou was very proud of her accomplishments). If Spencer was autodidactic, maybe he could learn it faster-

_I barely know the guy and I'm making plans to help him with his Asperger's._

Lou pushed the Doctor out of her mind as she focused on the lesson.

"We get an idea of how Ray looks at Humbert Humbert through his narrative, which shows he truly despises Humbert…"

_Wait just a minute…_

She didn't know how she missed it.

Lou realized one of the downsides of multitasking when she had looked at her students. She had 93 students enrolled in her ten am Thursday lecture for "Intro into Literature". The room had 100 seats distributed evenly throughout the ten rows. It was an intimate space, and she noticed that out of the 93 students, 67 of them showed up. But she counted 68 chairs being occupied. It wasn't until she looked at the very top row, where the seat beside the narcoleptic student was occupied by a timid and brilliant FBI agent, giving her a small smile and a wave as she taught her lesson.

_He's here_, she thought excitedly.

Reid watched the passionate teacher. He had slipped in a couple of minutes after the lecture had started, but Elena had been already deep in her brain, engrossed in teaching. He studied her as she spoke to her class. She was confident in her words, and although she focused on too much sometimes, she still held valid points. Granted, Reid had no idea about the actual content in Vladimir Nabokov's _Lolita._ He listened to her speak of a Humbert Humbert recounting his tales of his beloved Dolores.

He couldn't keep his eyes off the way her finger would make a tapping motion three times every few minutes. Spencer found out easily that everything was to be made in threes. Three pencils on the table. Three pieces of chalk in her hand. Three sheets of paper underneath her notebook (which had three different colours on the front). Her scarf was tied three times. She would pace, taking three steps and stopping, before continuing the pattern.

Spencer found her obsessive-compulsive disorder charming, rather than absurd.

Lou noticed that all her students were looking at her, confused. She was just as equally confused until she realized she had stopped speaking, all of her multitasking gone to waste.

"And, I've seem to have lost my place."

The class laughed as Lou walked to her desk, her hands clenched together.

"Well, since I am in a good mood, and I have also destroyed the atmosphere, we'll wrap up for the day."

Lou smiled at the excited whispers she got from her students, as they began packing up their belongings.

"Make sure you hand in your rough draft of your rough draft to your TA for participation marks. Also, be reminded that you have a midterm coming up. Might be a good idea to open a book. Preferably this one." Lou waved _Lolita_ around as the students wandered through the rows, exiting the classroom as they ignored her request. She had begun gathering her stuff, watching the Doctor make his way down the steps towards the desk. As soon as he was close enough, Lou raised her head to look at him with a lovely smile on her face, remembering the last time she saw him. She waited anxiously as Spencer approached her, waiting for the moment that her name escaped his lips.

"_Bye Elena_."

"Hello Professor Richardson," Reid had said to her.

So she was wasn't Elena at the moment.

It left a heavy feeling within her.

"Doctor Reid." Lou had said with all the politeness she could muster up.

"That was an interesting class," Spencer had commented on. "From what I could tell, _Lolita_ is a very disturbing book."

Lou snorted. "That would be putting it lightly."

"Could you tell me what it is about?" Spencer asked her as she put all of her papers into her backpack, slinging it on her shoulders.

"That is a loaded question to ask someone with a Ph.D. in English."

"I was asking for a summary," Reid had said plainly, missing out on her joke. She purposely didn't smile. Lou looked at him as she began walking out of the room.

"It's about the abuse of a young girl."

"Oh."

"From the abuser's point of view."

Spencer's eyebrows almost touched his hairline.

"Don't you find that… disengaging?"

"Not at all. It's one of the greatest literary works of our time."

"I find it hard to believe. I'm constantly in the minds of sadistic individuals, and it is anything but pleasant."

Lou looked at him, desperately trying to find a way to explain to him what she meant. To her, she couldn't explain how the beauty of the words shone through, but the only reason it was so good was because it came from such a horrible place that evoked such an emotion out of her. She felt disgust every time she read the book. But she couldn't deny how wonderful it was the way that it was written. She was at a loss for words because his curious eyes almost _broke_ her heart. So Lou did the only thing she could to get him to understand what she meant.

"Here," Lou held out the book for him. "You tell me whether or not it's a good book."

She held it for him, waiting for him to take it. But she watched as he stared at the novel in her hand, his arms remaining at the sides of his body. She felt the weight on her chest grow when he didn't move to take the book from her.

But Spencer couldn't do it.

The last time he took a book from a woman he found… 'interesting', he ended up not meeting her face-to-face until her death. The last time he took a book from a woman, he went through the worst pain imaginable. The last time he took a book, Spencer's whole life shattered because he decided to take a risk; one that he never would have in a thousand years, had he not chosen to care for someone else other than his family.

"Or, no, nevermind." Lou tried _really_ hard to keep her face neutral, putting the book back into her bag. She wasn't going to let _Doctor Reid_ see her crestfallen. _He must not want to make a personal connection._ _He's an FBI agent working on Jeffrey's murder. That's why he's here._ "I understand not everyone prefers books like this one, especially someone in your line of work."

He didn't understand why, but Spencer could feel something different from the way Elena had responded to his question. Did he do something wrong? Had he upset her? Her eyes were downcast, and she wouldn't make eye contact with him. Her voice had become softer, and didn't hold the same powerful tone he had heard several times. He saw her finger begin tapping a familiar rhythm that had more force to it, picking up the pace: _one, two, three. Pause. One, two, three. Pause. One, two, three…_

Reid realized he had upset her.

He didn't like the terrible feeling it left in his core.

"I don't read books." Was the first illogical thing that came out of his mouth.

That time, Elena had made eye contact with him.

Spencer scrambled for the right words, trying to fix the mistake he made. "I mean, I _do_ read books. I've read a lot of books. In fact, I can read twenty thousand words per minute. I... just prefer to read historical journals and research papers."

He didn't like lying. But telling her the truth at that moment was too painful for him.

"So… what's different with this book?"

Spencer definitely heard the hurt tone in her voice that time. He didn't know what to say. Everything that was coming out of his mouth had caused more harm than good. Spencer wasn't oblivious to all works of literature. He'd read over thousands of novels, and he had enjoyed him, but nothing compared to the amount that Elena had probably read. What could he say to her that would make her feel better?

_A joke_?

Spencer shuttered at the thought, but tried it anyway.

"It's not fifteenth century literature?" He asked sheepishly.

When Elena looked at him, and then suddenly chuckled, he knew that he'd recovered slightly from his error.

"You're lucky _Recueil des Histoires de Troye _is one of my favourites_._" She prompted him with a shake of her head.

"That's one of my mother's favourites too." Spencer said as she stopped in the middle of the hallway.

"Spencer, why are you here?"

She looked at him, watching a small smile grow on his face.

"I'm here because I need your help with the case."

"Oh," Lou said, startled, but excited. "What do you need?"

"The unknown subject has a fascination with long hair. Your point on _Rapunzel_ had reminded me that there could be an underlying cause with childhood influences, and the fairy tale could have been impressionable on the unsub. I need your help exercising all options, which includes looking at every version of _Rapunzel _that is recorded, or in your possession. I had thought, since you knew a lot about the fable, you'd help give some insight on the case."

"Then you're lucky I specialize in children's literature."

Spencer almost died from shock the second she felt her fingers grasp onto his hand.

"Come on. I've got a bunch of _Rapunzel_ stories that you and your 'twenty-thousand-words-a-minute' mind can take a look at."

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><p><em><strong>Review?<strong>_

_**Don't forget the subscribe button.**_

_**xoxo N.**_

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><p><em>Next Time: "It means it's not okay to ditch work. But it is okay to have a crush, Reid."<em>


	3. Trois

_**Hey Everyone!**_

_**Here's a little treat (and for those in the GTA, a bit of sunshine for this gloomy day).**_

_**Thank you to **the(period)shrewd(period)ravenclaw, New(period)York(period)Celt, Cocoa, Demona Evernight, CalamityBangs, **and **Clara, **for leaving awesome reviews! Also, thank you to everyone who added me to their subscription list. All of you are the reason I want to post the whole story in one shot (but I won't because that's too nice of me... *insert evil chortle*).**  
><em>

_**Enjoy!**_

_**P.S. Nothing pertaining to Criminal Minds is mine**_

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><p>Penelope Garcia loved her office. From her favourite trinkets and fuzzies laying around the room, to her badass FBI processing server (it was basically CIA proof), she had the most beautiful office a girl could dream for. She loved the way her life turned out. Granted, she had wished her parents were alive to see her be as successful as she was. Her little minions worked hard as her fingers glided over the keys, looking up women between ages 18-30 who had been attending the school in the recent 5 years and <em>boy<em> was that a long list. She was cross-referencing students of Hill and Washmund, but also classes with Combs, which caused the list to decrease by only 40 women and Penelope was slightly freaking out. Two other screens were also running as she waited for her search engines to go through each database to find a subject that fit the profile.

Her main focus, however, was directed in front of her as she stared at the security videos, trying to see if she could find a glimpse of the unsub running away from the scene of the crime.

'_Derek Morgan_' showed up on her caller ID and _that_ was what she needed at that moment, clicking the button that would connect her to her love.

"Can I just remind you of how wonderfully delicious you are?"

"_You always can baby girl, but right now we got a serious situation_."

Garcia's stomach dropped. "How serious?"

"_Like Hotch thinking about suspending Reid serious_." Derek said in a lower tone.

Penelope's jaw was hanging wide open.

"What the hell did Reid do?!"

"_Walked out in the middle of brainstorming. Left the station without helping the profile_."

Garcia stared at her screens in shock.

"And the Boy Wonder thinks walking out on us is going to be easy?"

Derek sighed through the other side of the line. "_Penelope, Reid was having one of those days._"

Her _heart_ went out to him.

"Oh no. Not a Maeve day."

She didn't care about his astonished tone, swivelling her chair as she rolled to the other side of her computers.

"_You've named them?_"

"Had to."

Penelope typed her keys quickly, looking for Reid's cellphone. "_His phone is going straight to voicemail, Garcia._"

"Yeah, well, you're not me." She typed furiously, knowing that when Reid got a new phone, she purposely added software on the phone for her to be able to turn it on remotely. Garcia had done it to the entire team's phone (Emily and Alex too). Did the team know about it? Not in the slightest. The director didn't even have a clue. Too many people hurt her family, and Penelope wanted to be able to make sure that everyone would be able to be found. They were protecting innocent people, so she made it her duty to protect them, whatever the consequence.

**REID, SPENCER.**

A tiny red dot blinked on a map in front of her.

"I got him. And… huh."

"_What?_"

She was thrown off at where Spencer went. Why would he go back to the University of Richmond? There were no follow-ups to any of the interviews. Garcia had thought about it, realizing he'd actually only conducted two interviews. William McKennis, the head of the English department, and the young professor with the "impressive memory, satirical manor, and lip-reading capability", Reid told the team before going off into Hill's personal life. The more she thought about it, the more she realized that Spencer had gone fairly in-depth in describing the witness, which he almost never, _ever_ did. Garcia almost smacked herself for not realizing what was going on in the first place.

Was Reid really having a Maeve day?

Penelope typed into her search bar '_Elena Richardson_', waiting for the picture to come up.

The light bulb blinked over her head.

"He's back at the university."

"_You are a gift to this world, baby girl_."

"That's what they keep telling me."

Hitting the end button, she couldn't help but look back at the picture with a huge smile on her face, leaning back in her seat.

"And Morgan says you have no game."

[ + ]

Elena's office was an abandoned room on the second top floor of the history building, Reid had taken into account. It was peculiar, at first, standing in front of a door with the plaque '_Classroom 317_', which was indeed directly across from Professor Jeffrey Hill's office. He looked at the curtains behind the windows, wondering why Elena had such a big office. When she had unlocked the door, flicking the lights on, Spencer understood why the moderately large space was given to the young professor.

There wasn't a surface that wasn't covered with books. He narrowly avoided the towers of novels surrounding the whole room as the large bookshelf against the back wall was hanging on by a thread. The desk had stacks of tests and assignments strewn all over the top. The couch had a copy of _Catcher in the Rye _face down, the cushion acting as a bookmark. The armrest had _Not Wanted on the Voyage _underneath _The Kite Runner _and _Heart of Darkness._ He took a step into the room, which his shoulder brushed against one of the mountains of books, catching a version of _Great Expectations _before the book fell to the ground. Elena threw her bag at the entrance of the door, hanging her coat on the standing hook as she walked into the room, going directly to her bookshelf. Although unorthodox, Reid could understand the appeal of the office. _Everything has a place_, he thought to himself, hanging his jacket and scarf beside Elena's.

The one thing that didn't belong in her office was the aluminium bat beside the door.

"You, uh-"

"Have a lot of books? I've been told." Lou didn't pay him any mind as she quickly remembered every spot she had of any alternate versions of the _Rapunzel_ story. The shelves were from floor to ceiling, packed with books, but she already saw two copies of the fairy tale.

"I was referring to the bat."

She looked over at Spencer, who was making his way to the bridgewater-styled beige chair in front of her desk. He looked at Elena, who was climbing the shelves, her hand on a book already.

"Oh. I don't like guns, so I found an alternative."

Spencer's phone rang (_I turned it off…_), which told him it was Aaron Hotchner calling him.

"You keep a bat in your office?"

The '_Ignore' _button was being abused that day.

"I have a smaller frame than the majority of people I come across. Of _course_ I keep a bat in my office."

Reid could only stare at her, pride being the only emotion he felt.

"This one has the strand of silk," Elena pulled out a heavy red book, also pulling Spencer out of any daydreams he'd lose himself in. "This is the where she gets pregnant with a demon." Another big book, this time blue with faded gold writing. "This is Basile's _Petrosinella, _which Frau Gothel is actually an ogress." She gave the small leather bound book to Spencer.

"I'm unfamiliar with the original story." Reid admitted, flipping through the pages.

"Basically follows the pattern on the child being given up. Only Petrosinella drugs her captor with poppy and tries to run away with the prince by tricking the ogress and wielding powerful acorns that transform into ferocious animals, which eventually end up eating the ogress-"

Reid cut her off, his eyes glued to the pages. "It says that the wolf only ate the ogress, not all of the animals."

Lou had been blown away.

"You really weren't lying when you said you could read that fast."

Spencer put down _Petrosinella_. "I wouldn't lie about that."

Elena looked towards the floor. "Just about reading novels."

He had stopped reaching for a book in mid-air, realizing that Elena had meant that as a snide comment. He could understand why she had. He had turned down reading a book she adored, so much so that she taught it in her lectures. He had judged a book by its cover, and knowing how passionate Elena was about literature, she was absolutely _irate_, and most likely hurt, that Spencer hadn't even given the book a chance. But her personality and her choices wouldn't lash out in such a negative way, which is why that comment was made. But to Spencer, that hadn't made sense. She had been defending her book before she offered it to him, which meant she wouldn't have been as affected as she was when he rejected it. There was no possible way that this was the first time in her entire life that someone had turned down an offer to read one of her favourite novels.

Maybe… Elena was sad for an entirely different reason.

But before he could give his comment, she had turned around, facing him. Spencer's phone rang again, and once again he ignored the call. Lou hurled several books onto her desk, the sound vibrating throughout the room as five new piles of books grew spontaneously.

"Here's another thirty copies."

"_Thirty_?" Reid asked, in shock.

"Excluding all the Asian and South Asian versions, yes, thirty, Doctor Reid."

The doctor looked at the large books Elena had offered.

"I thought this would be quicker."

The woman smiled at the man.

"There's a faster way to make connections with the case, if there are any."

Spencer watched as she sat on an empty spot on her desk, which was in front of him, her feet dangling in circles.

"Faster than my reading capability?"

"Well, considering I've already read most of the different interpretations of _Rapunzel_, I'd be the expert on it."

"But_ I'm_ an expert on the case." Reid chose his words to mirror hers.

"So then make me one."

Spencer's eyebrows furrowed. "What do you mean by that?"

She crossed her arms. "Tell me about the case."

Reid's heart felt like it stopped.

"There are protocols I can't break."

He never expected the young professor to shoot out her arms in frustration.

"There is a serial killer out there killing people who are at the university. _My_ university. Whoever this… not-so-nice person is needs to be stopped, and we don't have time for that. What if this person kills someone again? What if I could do something to help? You need an expert on _Rapunzel_ for the case. I'm sure there are much more qualified people, but right now you've got me. So… shut up, and- and tell me about the case _now _because someone could be dying at this moment."

Spencer knew he shouldn't tell her anything. Hotch was going to have his head the second he walked back into the police station, and telling the boss he told someone the details on the case would get him in so much hot water Hotch would boil his skin off. But he knew Elena was right. There was a serial killer that was escalating, and he needed all the information he could, and he needed it _fast_. (Spencer wouldn't admit it; but when Elena tried to be powerful and defiant, it gave him odd… stimulations).

"We're looking for a woman, Caucasian, most likely between eighteen and thirty. She's been on campus for a minimum of four years, and she suffers from delusions, but is still aware of the severity of her actions, based on her fixation on male victims that have female spouses with long hair, and their mutilation of their eyes-"

"Wait, eyes?"

He nodded.

Lou took a moment to think.

"Was there… grass? Found in their stomachs?"

Reid couldn't hide the shock on his face.

He felt like a fool to ask, but he did anyways. "How did you know?"

Before Spencer could understand why that held such importance to her, Elena had shot off of the table, almost _skipping_ to the other side of her desk. She produced a set of keys on a lanyard, unlocking the drawer to her desk. In her hand was another book, and he knew it held not only importance to the case, but to Elena herself. The black book she held was worn, as most of her books were. But the difference with this book was that it did not have any sticky tabs or pieces of paper flittering throughout the book. Aside from the age, the book was in pristine condition, which meant Elena acquired it at a young age. This book was very personal to her specifically, giving to her by an important authoritative figure at a very young age.

_The Brothers Grimm_ was on the cover in ragged print.

She opened the book, knowing the exact page she was going to. Lou gave the book to Spencer as she pointed to the page, pointing out a certain part in the story.

"When the prince comes to look for Rapunzel after Frau Gothel cuts her hair and banishes her, he's so bereaved in his loss that he falls from the tower. He ends up falling into a bush full of thorns, marring his eyes. He'd blindly made his way through the forest, eating nothing-"

"-but grass and roots to survive." He finished for her, reading the last lines of _Rapunzel_.

"Exactly."

"This explains the mutilation of their eyes. It's not a fixation; it's the need to fulfill the story."

"Forcing them to eat grass and tree roots in order to survive to see her again one day."

"The unsub keeps failing."

"She's killing the men because she believes that they are the prince."

Spencer re-read the ending quickly. "The prince has his eyes restored after Rapunzel cries on him. The unsub wanted the gratification of the prince's sight being restored, but can never achieve it because they died from all the blood loss."

Lou looked at Spencer and Reid looked at Elena.

"The killer must be mimicking the Grimm's version of _Rapunzel_ to the letter." She concluded for him.

She found it. Reid knew instantly she found the motive behind the killings. The unsub had been suffering under the delusion that she was Rapunzel. If Spencer would bet (he _was_ from Vegas), the unsub's personal life would mirror that of the fable to almost every detail, which indicated the unsub came from an unstable home. The unsub moved into adulthood in an even more unstable environment, with the consequence of losing a significant other, whether it be death or separation. She narrowed down the profile for him quicker than he would have if he read all those stories and came to the conclusion himself.

She blew the case wide open.

"Ellie, you're too smart to be a professor."

Spencer looked at the book again, completely missing the way Lou's eyes turned into saucers at she stared at him. He complimented her, which threw her off. He also wasn't being professional _at all _(he wasn't even trying anymore), and yet that wasn't the most shocking thing she had to deal with. Besides the compliment, and the unprofessionalism, Lou couldn't help the thoughts that swirled in her head.

_Spencer… he…_

He called her Ellie.

Ellie.

_Ellie?_

…Ellie.

She bit down hard on her lip, hiding her smile.

_That's ten times better than Elena_.

Her euphoria was disrupted when the sound of her cell phone's ringtone came on. She ignored the glance Spencer gave her as he listened to what he believed was the boy band called the Backstreet Boys (_"Listen baby I'm sorry, just wanna tell you don't worry. I will be late, don't stay up, and wait for me_-") before the sound was cut off by her answering the phone with a confused expression.

"Professor Richardson."

"_Hi, Lou is it?_" It was a sweet voice with such vibrancy that Lou almost missed the fact this unknown person with an unknown number had called her by her nickname.

"Yes? Who am I speaking to?"

"_My name's Penelope Garcia. I work with the FBI as a technical analyst. Is Doctor Reid there?_"

"Is he supposed to be?" Lou challenged, which caused Reid to realize that whoever was on the phone was speaking about him.

"_Unfortunately, no. He's gonna be chewed out by our boss in a few. But since he is there, could I talk to him?_"

Lou hid her smirk as she pulled the phone from her ear, holding it out to Spencer.

"Someone named Penelope Garcia for you."

She saw the dread that came over him as Reid went to take the phone from her hand.

"Hey Garcia."

"_Hey yourself_." There was more bite to her tone. "_You had a lot of us worried._"

"I know, and I shouldn't have, but-"

"_The only reason Hotch hasn't fired you is because everyone thinks you're having a Maeve day, or week for that matter_."

"A what?" Spencer couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"_Let me put it this way, genius. You work with profilers, they can tell when you're having an emotional breakdown, especially when you're thinking about Maeve._"

The pit in his stomach grew.

But only because he thought of Maeve for the first time that day when Garcia had mentioned her.

"_But they're profilers, and they take educated guesses. I, on the other hand, like facts from my nifty computer. And from cold hard facts, I can determine that you had only interviewed two people yesterday. Oddly enough, you are with one of those people at this exact moment, who also, on a scale of one to ten on the Reid awesomeness scale, is a complete knockout. So much so that you walked out of making the profile, which you would never do in a zillion years._"

Reid tried deciphering what she meant. "I don't understand what that means."

"_It means it's not okay to ditch work. But it is okay to have a crush, Reid._"

No.

Absolutely not.

Spencer Reid did not have… _a crush_.

"She's helping me with the case," he told Penelope on the phone, looking at the woman who was re-reading _The Brothers Grimm_ that was sitting in her lap as she sat back onto the desk. She looked up, concern on her face as she noticed he was talking about her. He gave her a soft smile, which Lou returned before going back to her book.

He really liked her smile.

"_Uh huh. Even if she is helping, you still walked out on Hotch._"

Spencer sighed before deciding he was going to tell Penelope what had occurred.

"Professor Richardson found the motive for the unsub."

He could hear her astonishment. "_Wait, what? As in she figured it out completely?_"

"I had a hunch, but she gave me the information we needed and put the pieces of the case together."

"…_Wow. You really know how to pick 'em, Reid._"

"Garcia-"

"_Send me all the information and I'll narrow down the field_." Spencer heard the insistent typing on the keyboard.

"_Don't worry. I won't tell a soul about Lou_."

_Lou_? Spencer thought to himself. _Who was Lou?_

The brilliant FBI agent looked at the phone in his hand, realizing Garcia had disconnected with the call. He gave the phone back to Elena, a curious look on his face. She picked up on his energy.

"Everything's okay?"

He shrugged. "I have to get back to the station."

"You're in a lot of trouble, I assume?" Lou was extremely concerned.

Spencer was sheepish in his answer. "I kind of… left without any explanation."

The startled gasp escaped Elena.

"You did something… rebellious?"

"Irresponsible." He corrected for her.

She stood up from her spot, keeping the book in her arms.

"_Irresponsible_: a person, action, or attitude that correlates with not showing proper forms of responsibility. _Rebellious_: showing a desire to resist authority for a better cause or belief. You left in the middle of something important for the case to find out something even more important. You knew I had answers, and you knew there was no time to waste. So no, you weren't being irresponsible for disobeying your bosses' orders. You were being rebellious against authority in order to find the killer as soon as possible."

He was well over six feet, but Lou easily tapped his nose and walked around him.

"The first time I met you, you never looked to be irresponsible. But you did look passionate, and driven, which leads me to believe that you can be rebellious."

"And why is that?" He asked her.

She smiled, putting the book into her back pack.

"You have an IQ that certifies you as one of the most intelligent people to walk this earth. You're eidetic, autodidactic, can read twenty thousand words per minute, and extremely well educated in social sciences. Based on your Ph.D.'s in mathematics, engineering, and chemistry, you'd put ninety four percent of the population to shame. You could have been anyone, done anything you wanted. But instead of winning a Nobel Peace Prize, you chose to be an FBI agent, for a specific branch that catches serial killers. That tells me more about you than anything you could ever say to me."

Putting on her jacket while throwing her bag on her shoulders, Lou smiled at Reid, holding the door open.

"So am I coming or what?"

Spencer only smiled, grabbing his backpack as he followed the professor out of her office, with one thought in mind.

_She'd be an amazing profiler._

[ + ]

She had long, pretty hair.

It was golden too. Real blonde hair. She hadn't seen anything like it before. The long tresses weaved through her fingers as the girl in her seat trembled with fear. The lady had tried to be soothing, to tell the woman, Devon, that it was okay. That everything was going to be fine. Devon was shaking in her seat, so much so that if she had kept shaking the woman was going to put her in restraints. Devon watched the lady with the hat on lean over her to grab onto the scissors sitting on the counter. The blonde hair was in a low ponytail, and the woman with the scissors had patted the young girl's shoulders.

"You ready?"

Devon couldn't respond.

The scissors were about to make their first cut until-

"Wait."

The scissors were motionless.

"Yes?"

"Shouldn't-" Devon was trying to get the words out properly.

"Isn't twenty four inches too much?"

The hairdresser that was cutting Devon's hair swivelled the woman around, making sure she was face to face with the blonde woman.

"Well, you've probably haven't had a haircut in over a while, so your dead ends would be shaving off another three, four inches. Twenty inches is perfect."

The woman turned Devon back to face the mirror. "Just think, not only are you doing this for a great cause, think of how it'll feel after all this hair is gone from weighing you down."

"Do you do this a lot?"

The young woman saw the hairdresser's smile in the mirror.

"Honey, you're my fifth one, and that's just this week."

Devon played with her locks one more time, nodding as she finally said "goodbye" to her hair.

_Snip. Snip._

The lady held the long ponytail out to Devon, who suddenly smiled at her crazy, impulsive decision. The hairdresser forced herself to only focus on cutting the rest of the hair though. Her soft, blonde, pretty hair, that was now officially gone.

_Just like Rapunzel_.

_Just like me._

* * *

><p><strong><em>Reviews = more chapters.<em>**

**_Hit that follow/favourite button!_**

**_xoxo__ N._**

* * *

><p><em>Next Time: "While we are grateful for your expertise Professor, I cannot disregard any deceptiveness towards my team members."<em>


	4. Quatre

_**Hey Everyone!**_

_**Another update? Uh, hell yeah! Okay, so I had a debate with myself (as delusional people usually do) as to whether or not I should wait another day to post this chapter. BUT, obviously, the reader in me beat the writer in me, and now here I am after harassing my beta to hurry up with the editing. By the way, everyone give a shoutout to Blue for catching all my mistakes from 3AM (this woman is seriously a God). Also like to point out that the most recent episode of Criminal Minds coincidentally deals with fairy tales (I caught up on the last three episodes last night), and right now I am officially freaking out at my ability to predict the future without trying (because I'm so bad-ass. Yeah!).**_

_**Thank you to **_sonnetStar, Demona Evernight, Rivermoon1970, YashiHashi, Guest, _**and**_ Sue1313 _**for reviewing. Thank you to everyone who added me to their subscription list!**_

_**Also, you all will love this chapter. Because it's too damn cute.**_

_**Well, I think it's cute. I just really love Elena and Spencer together.**_

_**Okay, enough of me babbling.**_

_**Enjoy!**_

_**P.S. Criminal Minds ain't mine.**_

* * *

><p>"Is he always like this?"<p>

JJ looked to the other female member of the team as Kate stood in front of the pictures on the board, hands firmly on her hips. The newest team member was obviously curious at the unorthodox actions that she had seen from Reid earlier that day. JJ knew Callahan had every right to be, considering Spence would have never left in the middle of the case without any explanation. It was almost two and a half hours since the youngest member of the team had vanished from the police station, and the former communications liaison was worried about the repercussions that Hotch was itching to dish out. The weight on her chest wouldn't budge.

"No, actually. He's the complete opposite," the blonde woman was worried as she kept looking to the entrance, almost willing Reid to show up.

"Hotch is gonna ring his neck, isn't he?"

JJ crossed her arms. "Not as much if it was anyone else."

Kate had turned to face her partner, making eye contact.

"He told me that his girlfriend had been shot and killed in front of him."

JJ could only nod in response.

The newest member of the team was hesitant in her words. "Is he still…"

"Once in a while."

Callahan nodded.

"This is his blue moon, I suppose."

Jennifer looked at the new team member, wondering whether or not she had been adjusting properly.

"How are you handing the cases?"

Kate turned to her co-worker, shrugging. "It's been difficult, especially since Meg's still adapting to my new schedule. But I've been able to manage."

JJ looked reluctant to tell her the next thing on her mind. "I hate to tell you, but it doesn't get any easier."

Callahan smiled. "If it did, then I would be worried."

JJ thought she imagined it, but when Kate had shifted her focus behind the profiler, she turned her head to the sound of the station doors opening. The weight finally moved off of her chest as she saw Doctor Spencer Reid finally walking into the room. She noticed that Reid looked like his regular self, with determination in his steps as he walked right up to JJ.

"Where's Hotch?" He asked his friend, to which JJ scoffed.

"You really want to see Hotch right now?" She asked in disbelief.

"We broke open the case-"

"_Reid_."

_We?_ JJ thought, watching as Hotch pointed to the young doctor, curling his finger as he walked into an office. Spencer, hesitant, followed in after Aaron, shutting the door as Hotch was lowering the blinds. Jennifer was nervous for her friend, knowing that Reid only had good intentions when he bailed on the case. Or, she thought he had good intentions.

"He's in a lot of trouble, isn't he?"

JJ hadn't noticed her at all, the young woman that was standing in front of her clutched onto a large copy of _The Brothers Grimm_, had long pink tips in her hair and was watching Spencer being reprimanded by his boss. Her foot was tapping along to the same rhythm her finger was, her nervousness being displayed all over her body. JJ noticed this foreign woman was nervous _for_ Spencer, and most likely the main reason Spencer went AWOL on the team.

"Nothing Spence can't handle."

JJ stood up, giving her hand out as an offering.

"SSA Jennifer Jareau, this is SSA Kate Callahan."

The woman took her handshake.

"Professor Elena Richardson."

Like the final piece in a puzzle, JJ got the whole picture of why Reid had been acting differently. When Spencer had come back from finding out another key piece to the case, he had seemed distracted. She thought it was Maeve until Jennifer noticed that Reid wasn't melancholy. He was curious by nature, trying to decipher something he couldn't understand. He must have figured it out, because the Spencer JJ saw a few moments ago was the same one she saw before he had met Maeve. Garcia had told the team he was at the University of Richmond, which she was confused about until she was introduced to the lovely woman in front of her, who Spencer had mentioned the previous day by the name Elena. This Elena, who had been worried that she had gotten the doctor in trouble.

Smart _and_ caring?

JJ hid her happy smile as she sang a childish tune in her head (_Spencer and Elena, sitting in a tree_…).

"Is there something we can help you with?" The profiler asked the professor.

Kate and JJ weren't expecting the response they received.

"It's more of something I can help you with."

Lou placed the book in her hands on the table, flipping to _Rapunzel_.

"Spencer might have given me some details on the case, but if he hadn't, we wouldn't have made the connection."

"The connection to what?" Kate asked, coming around to the other side of Lou.

"Your unsub. She's living out her fantasy of being Rapunzel."

Both JJ and Kate looked to one another, realizing that the woman between them had made a simple connection, causing the case to progress quickly. Both profiles looked back to the professor as she overturned the pages.

"How old are you?" Kate asked bluntly.

Lou looked at the woman to her right. "Thirty."

"Shit, now _I_ feel old." Callahan looked at JJ, who rolled her eyes at the newest member of the team.

"Professor," JJ had started her sentence before she was corrected.

"Please, call me Lou."

JJ looked at her, not seeing the connection to her name, but realizing the nickname suited the young woman.

"Then feel free to call me JJ."

"With a fantastic name like that, of course."

Kate smirked behind Jennifer as she spoke.

"Could you give us more insight on this theory?"

Lou responded with a smile.

"Well, now that you ask…"

[ + ]

"Hotch, I can explain."

"Besides the fact that Morgan had to go back and finish interviews with Callahan, which was meant to be finished yesterday, you walked out on the case."

"I know-"

"In the middle of the profile, which is not like you at all."

"But there's-"

"_Reid!_" Hotch shouted, which caused Spencer to be alarmed.

_Hotch has never yelled at me like that._

"I understand that you have a difficult personal life. But when that personal life starts affecting your professional one is where I draw the line. If you're not going to tell me what's going on, then your excuse better be a valid one if you want to stay on the case."

Reid nodded eagerly. "It is. I needed help from an expert."

Hotch took a moment to relax. "What kind of expert?"

"The unsub was showing similar traits to that of a fairy tale, more specifically _Rapunzel_. The interview I conducted yesterday was from an English professor who specializes in juvenile literature-"

"Professor Richardson."

"...Yes."

_Christ_, Hotch thought. He was starting to hate that name.

Reid confirmed Hotch's suspicions further. "I thought she'd be able to make a connection."

Aaron crossed his arms. "And did she?"

Spencer nodded eagerly. "Elena figured out the unsub was following the exact story line to that of the fable to live out their fantasies. It's almost identical as she connected _The Brothers Grimm_ version to the victims' decimated eyes and consumption of grass-"

Hotch cut him off, realizing Reid made a huge mistake. One he'd never make if he was in the right frame of mind.

"How did she make the connection?"

Reid gave no intention to respond.

"Did you tell her details about the case?"

Spencer didn't have to be a profiler to find out Hotch was going to set his ass on fire.

"I had to, otherwise it would have taken us longer to figure it out."

Hotch was going to have an aneurysm. _What_ was Reid thinking? He was certainly not himself; being irresponsible. He was not fulfilling his job to his complete ability, and with Reid, that would mean he was costing the lives of civilians if he wasn't thinking the way he did. Did the Doctor not trust himself at the moment? Was it because he had woken up with a side of depression that week? Or was it, as Hotch was slowly figuring out, that a young and tremendously intelligent professor had caught the attention of Spencer Reid? Hotch didn't waste time thinking about it. Whatever it was, it was affecting the young man, and Aaron was going to have none of it.

"Take the rest of the day off."

Reid's stomach dropped.

"Hotch, the case-"

"I don't want you anywhere near this case until your head is screwed on properly. Do I make myself clear?"

The boss wouldn't let the sad shame Spencer had disturb his resolve as Reid could only nod in response. Hotch moved past Reid, pulling the door open as he made his way back to JJ and Callahan. He had noticed, however, that there were three females huddled over the table, one of which was a brunette woman with pink tips, an '_AC/DC_' shirt on, and Converse shoes that used to match her hair. Hotch had an idea of who this was as he walked up to the women. JJ turned at the sound of Hotch's footsteps, causing both Callahan and the unknown guest to turn in the same direction.

"Hotch." Kate began. "This is Professor Richardson. She made a connection in the case."

That was when Hotch had remembered Reid referred to her as Elena, not Professor Richardson.

Lou had begun to stick her hand out for a formal handshake, until the cold, icy glare of this intimidating man had immobilized her.

"While we are grateful for your expertise Professor, I cannot disregard any deceptiveness towards my team members."

She was shocked at his reaction.

"Excuse me?" The young woman asked.

"Leading one of my team members on and distracting them from their job in order to live out a childhood desire to play 'cops-and-robbers' is a contemptible action that is only performed by the most thoughtless, irrational, and immature people."

"Hotch," JJ tried to stop him, knowing that not only was he out of line, he was taking his anger for Spencer out on Lou.

"If you'd like to work for the FBI, please apply through all the proper channels and make sure you meet all of the physical and psychological requirements. Otherwise, please do not involve yourself in matters that does not concern you."

Lou had to suffer through countless insults in her life time. Ranging from her acne, to her knobby knees, and (the worst of all) her too-big brain that scared all the other children away, Lou had created a force field protecting herself. Throughout the years, Lou learned that bullies were mostly unintelligible kids that said foolish things, and physical wounds would heal. But she also learned that sometimes, words had carried meanings that were so powerful, they left painful scars in their path.

The words that this man (Lou guessed it was Spencer's boss) had said to her left a horrible feeling inside her, and she knew it was going to take _weeks_ for her to finally push those words out of her head. This was the first time Lou was called thoughtless, or irrational. But _immature_ was a word Elena was pretty sure left a huge cut on her chest. Lou had juvenile tendencies, but she wasn't immature. She hadn't asked for Spencer to come to her. She didn't ask to help with the case. The only thing she was guilty for was wanting an excuse to talk to Spencer; the helping out part was just a bonus.

Lou could feel the stinging behind her eyes as her throat threatened to close up. Keeping her trembling chin up high (high enough that the mean man could see that she wasn't going to take his... _bull_), she put her bag onto her shoulders, muttering a "thank you for your time, ladies", before walking with hesitant steps out of the office.

The black book was sitting on the desk still.

"Aaron."

Hotch looked to JJ, who had the look of anger on her face, and Kate, who blatantly refused to make eye contact.

"She didn't deserve _any_ of that." The woman was fierce in her determination.

"The professor was interfering with the case."

"I didn't know helping us find the unsub was interfering."

That voice had come from behind him, where Reid was standing. Hotch looked at him, noticing how his hands clenched at his sides, while his teeth gritted against each other, his jaw showing protest with every movement.

"Reid, I don't want you getting personally involved with a witness."

Whatever Hotch was going to say about his profile on the young woman was forgotten about when Spencer uttered a secret.

"Hotch. I haven't slept in a week."

All three of the team members had stopped their hostility. Reid was opening up.

"I haven't slept in a week, because every time I close my eyes, Maeve is there."

"Reid," Callahan had tried to stop him, tried telling him there was no reason to dish out his personal woes if he couldn't handle it.

"Because Maeve is always there. She never leaves my mind."

"Spence-"

"And then this morning, when I was with Professor Richardson, Garcia called me. She said Maeve's name, and that was when I realized… I hadn't thought of Maeve until Garcia brought her up."

Reid looked at Hotchner, his anger still bubbling inside, noticing the hard shell that Hotch had created was slowly cracking.

He put the strap of his bag on his shoulder. "This isn't about her. Elena is my friend."

"Is she more than that?"

Spencer ignored Hotch's question as he got ready to leave. He looked to JJ, his angry mask falling in the slightest.

"Don't contact me. I've got the day off."

Reid was very close to brushing past Hotch fast enough to knock him over as he pushed his way past his boss to grab Elena's precious book, walking back towards the exit. While Kate was still trying to familiarize Reid's interactions with the team, JJ and Hotch noticed instantly that Spencer had rarely had that type of anger on display. The only reason he'd allow such emotions to come through was most likely the fact that Hotch had royally angered Spencer to the point an emblematic 'fuck you' was shouted across the room. Jennifer was secretly relieved that Reid had finally told Hotch what was going on. More so, she was glad Spence had been slowly getting better, and Spencer had only been getting better because of his new friend.

His new friend that he has been spending a lot of the past two days with. His new friend that had helped him with the case, no questions asked. His new friend, the one that Spence had gotten angry over the fact his boss had offended her, had unknowingly started to fill the hole that was carved out of his chest. That led JJ to only one conclusion.

_Spencer has a crush on Lou_.

[ + ]

"Stupid G-Man in his stupid suit."

Lou sniffled her tears back as she held onto the straps of her backpack as if it were a lifeline. She was walking on the street, realizing she was almost a half hour's walk away from the university, where her motorcycle had been located. While she would have easily called Spencer to take her back to her office, but thought against it as she remembered how Spencer drove. The anger (combined with intense feelings of hurt) caused Lou's adrenaline to spike through, and she had no choice but to walk it out before attempting to hail a cab.

"I do one nice thing for the FBI and they chew me out like I'm in grade school. Well, that is the last time I try doing something for this government agency."

She wanted to say mean things. Lou wanted curse words to fly out of her mouth like she was a sailor and God himself had landed on the deck. But Lou didn't like cursing (a bar of soap made it that way), and would never think ill of other people. The professor had the worst brought out in her as she stormed her way down the sidewalk. She had tunnel vision as the hurt professor stomped her way back to the school.

"I should just call Dad. Or no, actually, that would make things worse."

Lou didn't even hear her name being called.

"Elena! Elena! Ellie!"

She paused, turning around to face the one man who had caused her to get scolded by someone she had never met before. While she greatly enjoyed the company of Dr. Spencer Reid, she was getting agitated at the fact that ever since he came into her life, it had been nothing less of a tornado in not only the confines of her mind, but her public life as well. She was anxious because _none_ of this was part of her routine and she just wanted to get to the school so that she could take her motorcycle home, have half a glass of Pinot Noir, and watch an episode of one of her favourite shows while grading papers, like she did every single night.

_One, two, three. One, two, three_.

"_What_." She bit out harshly. The two were causing a scene in the middle of the street.

Spencer was a bit shy, holding out the book.

"You left it at the station."

Horror flashed through Lou as she remembered she forgot her grandmother's book.

(…_Now Lulu, do you Grandmama a favour and never, ever, let this book go, do you understand me? My mama gave me this book, and her mama before that. Now your father was not as smart as you are, so you'll understand that all of life's problems can be solved through fairy tales, you just have to read hard enough to find them…_).

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

"Why do you call me that?"

She hadn't known what she was thinking when she said that to Spencer, whose confused face was in front of her.

"Your name?" Reid was hesitant in his answer.

"No, that nickname. My nickname is Lou, not Ellie."

_So that's why Garcia called her Lou_.

"Why did you call me Ellie?"

Spencer hadn't even noticed he was referring to her by a different name other than 'Elena'. When he tried to think about it, he remembered standing by her desk, looking at the pages of _The Brothers Grimm_, reading the words over. ("_Ellie, you're too smart to be a professor"_). He hadn't meant any disrespect, as she already had a nickname that was so common even Garcia knew. He didn't do it out of maliciousness towards her. The furthest thing he wanted to do was be mean to her. Spencer did it because… well, he did it just because he wanted to.

"I don't know." Spencer answered truthfully.

Elena sighed. "If you're going to try lying to me again, don't. You are quite horrible at it."

Reid shrugged his shoulders.

"I like calling you Ellie."

His words left Lou awestruck.

"You do?" She asked, surprised.

Spencer took that as offensive.

"Would you like me to stop? Because taking into account the amount of time we've spent together, plus my lack of knowledge on your past is equally similar to your lack of knowledge on my past which would make it difficult to create a bond that would be on the level of kinship which would require familiarity of at least two weeks minimum for me to refer to you in any informal context, and considering you're a witness to a case that should add another three weeks for professional…" He asked her tentatively, until he stopped talking the second he realized Elena was laughing her head off.

Why was she laughing?

"Um… Lou?"

She sighed in content, holding her stomach.

"That sounds wrong coming out of your mouth… No… I don't mind it at all. I was just looking for an explanation." Lou wiped her tears as she smiled up at Reid.

"So, I can call you Ellie?"

"Feel free to go bananas, Spencer."

He looked at her, a puzzled expression.

"…Bananas as in mental stability or in relation to the fruit-"

"How about this." Lou put her hands on Spencer's arms to get him to focus on her. "You're not allowed to call me Lou."

He nodded, but still kept the confused look on his face.

"Alright, what is it?" She asked, turning her body as she started walking. Spencer matched her pace.

"Why can't I?"

"What? Call me Lou?" Spencer nodded. "Well, it's not that you can't. I prefer you don't."

"For what reason?"

_If he keeps furrowing his eyebrows I might die from an overwhelming amount of cuteness._

Being the mind that she had, Lou could only partially imagine the complex ideas that run through Spencer's head. The complex ideas which cause confusion and over-analyzing over simple thoughts and actions in everyday life. Even to Lou, it was difficult separating herself from that common mindset, which is why she liked simplifying things for Spencer. If that notion of thinking gave her room to breathe, to feel less like a robot, to feel _normal_; then she'd try her hardest to do the same for Spencer. So, she'd take the advice her father always gave her ("S_ay it how you feel it, Lou-bear")._

"I like that only _you_ call me Ellie."

She knew that was all the brainy FBI agent needed to get the message across as they continued on their path. Every few seconds she'd glance up at Spencer. Sure enough, he still had that goofy smile on his face, realizing he was walking side-by-side with… Ellie.

"What's 'Lou' short for?" Spencer asked after a moment.

"Lucille, my middle name, after my grandmother."

"Is that why you covet that version of _The Brothers Grimm_?"

Elena would have been blown away if she didn't realize he was a damn profiler.

"You are good at your job, Spencer Reid."

She had meant it to be a joke, but it had a different outcome as she looked towards Spencer. He was a cross between miserable and infuriated. Whatever the situation Spencer was dealing with at his job, she knew that his boss was concerned with him before she had offered her help with the case, and the previous actions at the police station only had made it worse for the brilliant doctor.

"Hey," Lou stopped him after they had crossed the sidewalk. "I apologize if I had stepped out of line earlier, trying to help you with the case-"

Reid cut her off before she could continue. "It was not your fault in anyway. It was my boss just... alarmed with my personal matters."

He held his breath as he wondered whether or not she'd push the topic further as to what those personal matters were.

"How apprehensive is he?"

Spencer gave a relieved answer. "He gave me the rest of the day off."

Lou's jaw hung wide.

"How is that a punishment?"

"I… can't catch any serial killers?"

Lou was dismissive in his attempt to protest. "Hey, even serial killers take days off."

"Ellie-" Spencer had been startled by her joke, not realizing her humour.

She raised a pointed finger in the air. "_And_ I know for a fact that the BAU only hires people who are highly qualified, so I'm pretty sure they'll be fine."

"How would you know that for sure?" Spencer challenged.

"Well, they hired you, right?"

The doctor shook his head at the professor as she matched her pace alongside his. Spencer's strides were long and determined, but Ellie's walk had a bounce to it as she got excited over her words. The professor was constantly between facing forwards to walk and turning towards Spencer when she had gotten excited, which felt like every second.

"So you'll most likely be spending the day with me as I mark assignments. That is, if you don't have any prior engagements, but unlikely since your boss sent you away. Oh! Let me tell you, you will be captivated by some of these assignments. This freshman yesterday gave me his assignment on _Waiting for the Barbarians _several hours before lecture in order to write some mid-term he had, which was clearly an excuse. I had no choice but to take it, because I felt absolutely horrid if I didn't, and I'm glad I did because his work is absolutely extraordinary. I know I marked his ahead of everyone else, but I just had to because it was _marvellous, _Spencer. I marked his assignment so fast I think I was too generous. I can't wait to see more of his work pass through my desk…"

It was nice not being the one rambling, Spencer thought happily as he walked the long path back to the university with his new friend Ellie. Happily listening to her talk about whatever she wanted, he learned more things about her (from her back to back rants) as they continued making their way back. She was an only child, from a Fortune 500 mother and diplomatic father (who had been married for almost 40 years). She preached she could eat a whole box of Twix chocolate, which held no doubt in Spencer's mind, and her most recent favourite movie was something called _Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang_.

Even though he learned all these things, the thing he wanted to know the most was if he could hold her hand. The backs of their hands had grazed on more than one occasion as they walked, and Spencer thought back to the moment when he first got to hold Elena's hand. He could not only remember how soft her skin was, but how firm she held onto him. Like Elena had never wanted to let go. It was strong, it was meaningful, and it was something Spencer wanted desperately.

If only he knew she wanted to hold his hand just as much.

[ + ]

Roman Godfrey was found on campus outside one of the residence buildings the next morning, time of death occurring around 8pm the previous night. His grey football sweater that read '_Richmond Spiders_' had been covered with blood, tears in the fabric along the chest indicating a more violent struggle. His blond hair was now tainted thoroughly red from the blood that poured from his eye sockets when he was alive. Roman Godfrey, who sat in the third back row and hated _Slaughterhouse 5_, had been a freshman with a full scholarship to not only play football, but to also prepare him for law school. Roman Godfrey had been walking to his last class, intending on meeting up with his girlfriend later so they could go home together. Devon, his girlfriend, had a surprise for him, and he had been waiting impatiently to go see her.

Roman Godfrey had missed his midterm as his body laid on the cold concrete, forever immobile.

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><p><em><strong>*Dramatic Music Time*<strong>_

_**Review? Favourite? Follow?**_

_**Please and thank you very much!**_

_**xoxo N.**_

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><p><em>Next Time: "Gotcha."<em>


	5. Cinq

_**Hey Everyone!**_

_**Yes, I've made you all happy with another update! Yay!**_

_**Thank you so much to everyone who's added me to their subscription list (I see all 53 of you are loyal readers!).**_

_**Special thanks to my reviewers,**_New(period)York(period)Celt, fishtrek, Mia, Sue1313 (btw Morgan doesn't hear about it until the next day), CalamityBangs, **_and_ **Clara (Your English is perfect my Argentinian friend, and don't worry; I would lick every inch of Shemar Moore, so Morgan will have his moment!). _**You guys are the light in my life and I would send a ton of chocolates to each of you.**_

_**So, Enjoy!**_

_**P.S. I do not own Criminal Minds.**_

_**(P.P.S. Please don't hate me after this chapter.)**_

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><p>Rossi was the first one to notice Reid's lack of involvement the next day, as him and Morgan took a few steps into the police station before being told to head to the SUVs to the next crime scene, which was again at the University of Richmond. The kid had been forcibly put into a quiet room with all the maps surrounding him as the team went to the new crime scene. Dave held his look of disappointment in having another victim as he, Morgan, and JJ climbed into one car while Kate and Hotch piled into the other vehicle, heading to the morgue. The detective on the case, Detective Sherman, was to meet the trio at the crime scene. The first minute in the car was quiet, until Rossi couldn't take it anymore as he turned in his seat to face JJ.<p>

"You know why Hotch sent Reid home yesterday."

JJ shrugged, looking out the window. "Not exactly."

She felt Morgan's eyes on her from the rear view mirror. JJ sighed as she made eye contact with Derek, giving up her resolve as she leaned forward, ready to tell Rossi and Morgan the huge shift in Doctor Spencer Reid.

"He had gone back to the university to have Lou- _Professor Richardson_ help with the case, connecting it to the unsub's fantasy of living out the story of Rapunzel." Rossi and Morgan knew that much. "Spence might have given her details without Hotch's permission, and after he told Reid to take the day off, Hotch took his frustration out on the professor."

"Did he chew her up?" Rossi asked.

"And spat her out. God, she didn't even deserve it."

"What about Reid? Anything escalade?"

JJ nodded, remembering how Spencer was.

"He opened up to Hotch a bit, but that was after Spencer was furious with him."

Morgan sat in disbelief.

"Reid? Pissed?"

"Only at the fact Hotch scolded Reid's new friend _Elena_."

The simultaneous 'oh' erupted from Morgan and Rossi as they figured out what JJ was implying. Reid being distracted was only partially grieving, until it turned into a curiosity of someone who Spencer found… interesting. David shared the same smile Derek had in noticing, by the tone of JJ's voice, that the anger Reid felt was drawn from the instinctual need to _protect_ those deemed important. That Professor Richardson was some form of wizard. Only a certain person could steal the affections of a brilliant but oblivious doctor, magnificently piss off a Senior Supervisory Special Agent who was always cool as a cucumber, and also be defended by one of the strongest, and intelligent profilers on the team with the best roundhouse kick out of the whole Bureau, all within a span of two days. The car made a stop in front of an open space, the yellow tape encasing the crime scene in a make-shift square.

"How was Hotch?" Morgan asked, not making a move to get out of the car.

JJ sighed. "Brutal."

None of the profilers said a word as they walked out of the car, Detective Sherman already waiting for them.

"Victim is a freshman at the university."

"That's odd," Rossi mentioned as he walked towards the blood stain on the ground. "If he's a freshman, he'd only been attending the school for two months. It doesn't fit in with the unsub's timeline of stalking."

"Maybe she didn't have enough time to." JJ offered as she scanned the crowd, like she always did. "Maybe this particular victim was a window of opportunity."

"Looks like it." Morgan confirmed for her, looking at the long, messy trail of blood. "Definitely a struggle to get him down, unlike the other victims."

Detective Louis Sherman flipped through his notebook. "The suspect probably didn't know that the victim, Roman Godfrey, was trained in mixed martial arts."

Rossi look to his teammates. "So the unsub isn't being as methodical as she was with the other men, and has a dangerous enough weapon to subdue them."

Morgan nodded. "Which does support the idea that this was an impulsive decision."

"Getting sloppy," JJ commented, her eyes still not leaving the crowd.

Rossi looked at Morgan. "We got to catch this woman."

Jennifer almost looked away, but turning her head back to the crowd, she saw a flash of brown and pink. JJ's eyes adjusted to see Lou's curious expression scan the area, until her face dropped at the sight of the profilers. JJ knew that the professor had understood there was another victim. She didn't understand what compelled her to approach Lou, but the blonde walked up to the brunette(ish) woman. Lou spotted JJ right away, anxious to figure out what was going on. Spencer's good friend gave the police officer in front of Lou a signal, and the man lifted the yellow tape for her. Ducking underneath, JJ met Lou half way.

JJ was finding the picture she had of Roman Godfrey. "If I show you a picture of the victim, would there be a large chance you'd know him?"

"Most likely." Lou admitted.

She flipped the picture in Lou's direction, watching recognition flutter in her eyes.

"Grey varsity sweater. Sits in the third back row. Listens sometimes." Lou muttered it in a monotone voice, the shock of comprehending that she had only seen the kid two days prior.

_Roman._

_Such a horrible thing to happen to someone so brilliant._

JJ realized it was one of Lou's students.

"His name was Roman Godfrey, he-"

"-had a girlfriend with long, blonde hair."

Lou looked at JJ's curious expression.

"She sat in on a few of my lectures. If she has short hair, it must be recent. Fits the profile."

It was like the professor knew exactly what JJ wanted to know.

"Thank you, Lou."

"Always happy to help those worthy of it." Lou had offered an expression with that phrase, indicating how Lou felt at the moment. Or more specifically, how Lou felt about a certain leader.

"Listen, about Agent Hotchner-"

_So that's the boss' name._

"-don't take it personally, but the Bureau is putting him under a lot of stress to wrap this case up, and he needs the team on their A-game. Spencer had been distracted while on this case, and losing another victim doesn't help Spence's defence. Don't get me wrong, he was completely out of line, but..."

Lou listened to her head instead of the thing beating the hell out of her chest, knowing that JJ was right. She, of all people, knew how gruesome politics can be. There was no more time for cute little chats on Machiavelli, or making paper cranes out of plagiarised essays, or impromptu reading competitions in her office (which she was still proving that Spencer _totally_ cheated). While Lou loved the previous day she had spent with Spencer, she knew it was too good to be true. His team had a job to do, and Elena was becoming a distraction to Spencer. She had to let him do his job. Because while she distracted Spencer from doing his job, the killer took another victim. Roman, the innocent young man who would have done something wonderful with his life. Lou could have saved him, if she hadn't been such a child.

That Agent Hotchner was right. She was immature.

"No, I understand where he's coming from." She tightened her hand on her strap, hiding her tapping finger. "I have no right to interfere with your case. I'll just be a hindrance to you guys."

The profiler opened her mouth to speak, intending on telling the brilliant woman in front of her that no, she wasn't interfering; she was asked to be on the case, and no, she wasn't a hindrance; the complete opposite in fact. JJ could practically see the words Hotch had said to the professor swirl through Lou's brain. She didn't want the one person who could make Spencer smile again to feel discouraged. Hotch may not have noticed, but JJ saw that Lou Richardson was going to change Spencer's life, one way or another.

She didn't get to say anything as Lou walked away from the crime scene without saying goodbye.

"Is that her?"

JJ turned to face Morgan.

She nodded, turning back to look at Lou's figure.

"What did you say to her JJ?" Derek said as he made his way beside JJ.

The woman sighed in defeat, turning back towards the crime scene.

"Nothing I should have said."

Derek and JJ looked at their phones, receiving a text from Callahan.

'_The newest victim had ligature marks on his legs_.'

[ + ]

He didn't want to work.

Spencer narrowed down the potential list of suspects by 53 women, eliminating them for various reasons. He also made a point in the profile that the unsub suffers from some form of disability, the overkill on the newest victim indicating the weapon she used was very dangerous, yet easy to handle. Geographically, however, it made no sense. All the trails led back to the University of Richmond, but at the same time, it didn't. There was no logical reason why UofR was the common denominator with each victim. None of the victim's spouses had met one another, so where had they all connected? Where was the underlying link?

Hotch had holed him up in the room, with a stern look on his face, and an order that Spencer didn't dare try to break.

"_If you leave this room, you're suspended._"

Simple, concise, and threatening. Hotch got his point across.

Placing another pin on the map to indicate a potential intersection of victim's spouses, Spencer let his mind drift back to the previous day. ("_You were drugged and held captive?_" "_Which lead to my dependency on Dilaudid, so I fully believe I live a more dangerous life than you do." "…I've smoked marijuana in front of a police officer." "That's stupidity, not bravery."). _He didn't understand why, but Elena made him feel at ease. His mind was always in a frantic state. Being with Ellie and doing simple things like reading more children's stories, playing chess (Spencer was still shocked that she had won one game), and laughing about how much Michelangelo hated his job, was like taking a small vacation. The downside, however, was that Spencer wanted to do it again. But he knew Hotch would reprimand him further, so he'd have to wait until the case wrapped up before he could see Ellie again, and that put Reid in an even worse mood.

A knock at the door made Spencer turn around. Seeing who was at the door made him want to face his maps again.

Hotchner opened the door. "You got a minute?"

"I'm not going anywhere," Reid said bitterly, mentally thanking Elena for her tip on passive aggressiveness ("_the key is, you have to be mean to a certain degree that it's subtle_"),

The boss shut the door behind him, facing Spencer as he crossed his arms.

"I had wanted to apologize for my actions yesterday. I understand I had crossed a line."

Spencer looked at his boss, all animosity fading. "Hotch, I should be apologize for leaving in the middle of the case."

"You had to play a hunch, and it was the right call."

Reid looked at his boss, peculiar. "Why the sudden change of-"

"My opinion is my own." Hotch covered, not letting Reid figure out that Aaron had gone home the previous night and realized, while talking to Beth about his day, that he might have caused more damage than necessary. Hotch forgot that Reid was the type of person to _never_ open up about how he felt. He didn't find out about Maeve until it had been too late for Hotch to truly get to meet the woman that had stolen Spencer's most cherished item besides his brain. It was hard for Reid to find someone he enjoyed his time with, and if a highly-esteemed young professor of English wasn't a good enough candidate, then Hotch was lying to himself.

"Reid, I want this case handled with the quality of professionalism you always bring."

"Which I will, Hotch."

The older gentleman of the two looked to his co-worker. He still felt like the kid needed a boost in the right direction.

"Is the university far from the BAU?"

Spencer found it abnormal he had asked that question.

"An hour and six minutes, another fourteen if using public transportation."

Hotch nodded, opening the door. "Not a bad commute to see your professor."

Reid stared at the back of Hotch's head as the team leader walked out of the room, leaving Spencer absolutely confused at his boss' whiplash.

"She's not _my_ professor," a grumpy and lonely doctor said, pushing another pin on the map with much more force than needed.

[ + ]

Garcia had her cup of Twinings tea in her hand, placing the containers that had her salad and sandwich in her lunch bag as she finished her break, walking back to her office. She had spent the past two days staring at stupid security videos, and was not looking forward to going back to straining her eyes. While the video quality was decent, Penelope was getting frustrated. This unsub was too damn good at hiding her face. Settling in her seat, her fingers danced, fast forwarding the video in front of her. It was the morning that Jeffrey Hill was killed, and like the other videos, there had been no sign of the unsub.

"Come on, you sneaky bitch," Penelope mumbled to herself, looking at every angle of the screen. She reversed the video twice, put it in slow motion, and played it at regular speed over and over again. She felt like she had been missing something. Huffing in frustration, she took a chance and put the video in slow motion again. The angle had been perfect in highlighting the back entrance, as well as the majority of the sidewalk. Unfortunately, there was no view of the murder. She was in the proper time frame of the death when Garcia noticed the smallest of movement in the bottom left corner. Her spirits lifting, she zoomed in one the specific spot, enhancing the picture.

Sure enough, it was the sleeve on a sweater, in the appropriate area of the crime scene.

"_Gotcha_."

She pulled up more videos from that time stamp, picking up different angles. The fourth video she looked at had the top of a hood glide through the bottom of the screen from the right to the left.

"You're not clever enough to fool me," she taunted.

Penelope chased the suspect, finding more and more videos of the trail the unsub left in her wake. She had worked through an hour and a half of film in thirteen minutes. The next video she looked at, after seeing the unsub's hand, was the back profile of the unsub as she walked into the same building that she had killed Hill outside of. Putting her curiosity aside, Garcia followed the unsub as she weaved through the building, being completely unseen as the empty halls allowed the unsub easy access to whatever she was doing. The unsub slowed her steps unexpectedly, pushing themselves against the wall as they crept to look around the corner of the hallway. She figured that the unsub had recognized a familiar sound. The techie changed to a new camera angle.

Her blood ran cold as her purple glossy lips dropped open in surprise.

Penelope looked at the unsub, who was watching Spencer Reid talk to Elena Richardson, before following them as Spencer walked Lou back to her classroom.

What scared Garcia more was after Reid had left, the unsub entered the lecture hall from the top entrance.

[ + ]

Keeping the smile off of his face as he helped the officers move the boards, Spencer was glad that Hotch had found his faith in him again, looking over the case as the whole team had been brainstorming, sitting in the main room. Reid had given reassuring smiles to JJ and Morgan, while giving Kate a nod, as she looked to be deep in her thoughts. Rossi had come to stand beside Reid as the two faced the geographic pattern.

"You okay, Reid?" David asked Spencer, watching as Reid was confident in his nod. _Different from the past two days. He's getting better_.

"I am now. Needed some time to sort out a few things."

Rossi couldn't help but tease. "And was that time spent in an educational environment?"

Spencer looked at Dave, realizing that he knew about Ellie.

"Not you too," the brilliant doctor whined.

The Italian only smiled, patting Spencer on the shoulder.

"Your not-so secret is safe with me," he whispered to the kid.

The doctor held his groan as he heard Callahan speak up.

"Do we have pictures of the victim's partners after their haircut?"

"Garcia sent them over not too long ago." Derek handed her the iPad in his hand.

Kate flicked through each of them, looking at them closely. While all the women in the picture were beautiful, she couldn't help but notice that each hairstyle was similar in nature. Long in the front, framing the face. Shorter in the back. All of the women had a bob hairstyle.

"It's the same haircut."

She handed the pictures to Reid, who looked at the pictures of the women.

"Kate's right. Even with the variety of length, the unsub left it longer in the front."

Kate corrected him. "That would be a 'bob'."

Rossi looked at the women. "How could that be a factor?"

JJ chided in. "Considering that these women probably hadn't received a haircut for several years, they were most likely unsure of what haircut to get."

Kate followed on JJ's train of thought. "And if you're unsure of what haircut to get, you ask a professional."

"The same professional that has most likely been cutting hair for years." JJ finished for Callahan.

Hotch spoke to his team. "I'll have Garcia compile of list of potential suspects. Callahan and JJ, I want you to meet with the women. Ask them what salon they went to. Keep Reid updated on the progress in order to create a more geographical pattern."

"That'll be difficult. None of the women are willing to speak to us anymore," JJ said, grabbing her jacket.

"That's never stopped you before, JJ." Rossi smiled at Jennifer.

Aaron looked at Kate. "Good work, Kate."

"Thank you, sir." She smiled, grabbing her belongings to leave.

Morgan's phone rang out, and he answered his phone.

"Hey baby girl. I need you to make me a list of-"

"_You guys have to get to the university right now_."

Everyone had stopped what they were doing.

"Penelope?" Derek asked.

"_The security video. I found the unsub._"

"That's a good thing, Garcia." Rossi had interjected.

"_No, it's not, because not only did that she not show her face, I watched the unsub run into the building Jeffrey was killed by and she had stalked-_"

"_Garcia_," Hotch said, cutting off what was going to be a rant.

"_The unsub is after Professor Richardson_._ She followed her into the lecture hall on the day Hill died._"

The same thought ran through every team member's head. Morgan looked at Reid. JJ looked at Reid. Callahan looked at Reid. Hotch looked at Reid. Rossi looked at Reid. They all thought of the same thing. The kid didn't deserve to have this happen to him again. He had just been getting better. Spencer had been slowly steering back to his old self. The team quickly collected their items, watching as Spencer was the fastest one out of his chair. The doctor hadn't even thrown on his jacket as the team was from the station to the car in a matter of seconds.

Reid was the first one in the car, placing his vest on as the organ in his ribcage was trying to push its way out. His phone glued to his ear, he listened to Elena's phone ring out. He had gotten in the car with Hotch and Rossi, both of the gentlemen being silent through the whole ride. Sitting in the passenger seat, he kept hitting redial on Elena's number. Five rings, voicemail. Five rings, voicemail. No rings. "_Hello. You've reached Professor Richardson. I'm currently walking the yellow brick road, so leave your name and number after the tone."_ The ninth time Spencer did it, he threw his phone down by his feet, breathing deeply. He closed his eyes, wishing for the universe to not be cruel as it usually was.

_She was the connection to the victims._

_Not the university. _

_Her._

_They interacted with Elena._

_I should have figured it out sooner._

"Hotch." Reid has said in a soft tone, and Aaron refused to believe it sounded broken.

"Please go faster."

It was an unprofessional request, but Reid could hear the engine accelerate.

_We're coming, Ellie. Hang on._

[ + ]

Lou had been humming another one of her favourite songs ("…_black bandana, sweet Louisiana, robbin' on a bank in the state of Indiana…_") as she was walking out of her classroom, her students long gone, running after the '_Pig's Delight_' truck that was on campus, giving out free pulled pork burgers. She went to take a long whiff of the pork, but instead had caught onto a horrid smell that left an unpleasant scent behind. She had spent the lecture talking about _Winnie the Pooh_ and its predominately male characters while remembering what Spencer had said about the book. "_Piglet an example of anxiety, Tigger looks to be that of ADHD, and Eeyore is blatantly a symbol for depression_". She smiled at the fact that although Spencer didn't read _Lolita_, he reread enough children's books that day to satisfy her, and also stumbled on a few he hadn't read before. She also was hoping that Spencer could grasp at the childhood nostalgia that came with the tales.

_Maybe I should call him?_

She shook her head. _No. Let him do his job. He'd said he'd call when the case was done._

Realizing in that moment that Lou had not put her cell phone in her pocket and had left it on the table in the lecture hall, she huffed at her absent-mindedness as she turned the opposite way.

"_California, rest in peace, simultaneous release_…" She sung to herself, filling the hallway with her acoustics.

Lou could have sworn she heard another pair of footsteps behind her, but she had looked around, not seeing anyone in the hallway. _I'm hearing things, and my mind is playing tricks on me. You know better than anyone else, Lou. It's your imagination._ She confidently kept repeating soothing words in her mind, keeping a good pace. She always had this irrational fear of someone stalking her, which was most likely the cause of reading all those gothic novels as a child. _The second time in three days. Unbelievable_. She was almost to the lecture hall, when she heard the sound of shoes squeaking against the glossy floor.

Lou knew the sound hadn't come from her shoes.

That was when she grasped at the fact that the feeling she was getting wasn't her mind playing tricks on her. It was her instincts telling her that she was in danger. Lou slowed her pace a bit, listening intently on whether or not she heard a sound. The rustling of clothing that was not hers was all she needed to start running.

When she heard another pair of footsteps running after her, she picked up her pace.

But Lou knew it was a losing battle. She was the slowest runner throughout elementary and high school. Her legs burned as her chest heaved, but she didn't give up as she pushed, hoping that someone would show up in the hallway. But Lou remembered that they had been giving out free pulled pork burgers, and there was no one roaming the halls of this building.

The feeling of a string being tied around her feet is what made her go head first into the floor.

The impact had left Lou hurting as she struggled to open her eyes, seeing red out of one of them. When she was able to see, and ignoring that metallic taste starting in her mouth, she quickly glanced at her legs; there was two balls attached to either side of a piece of string (_Joyce has one just like this; Ker-bangers. Clackers._), shifting her focus to the figure approaching her. They were wearing a deep hood, covering their entire face in order to hide their identity to the untrained eye. But Lou had a trained eye, and could see the wider hips, the skinny hands, and small feet. In the woman's hands, however, was an odd object. It had been a long stick, with silver items sticking out at one end at all different angles (she couldn't make out specifics through the blood). The woman was just a few inches taller than her, but almost the same physical make-up as she had. That gave the confidence Lou needed.

She could get away.

Falling back into the mansion of memories in her mind, she ran through the sitting room, the hallway, the kitchen, and towards the backyard, where tons of memories of her father had been wandering around. She was looking for the specific one, where on a warm June day, her father pulled her outside, constantly pushing her to the grass every time she got up.

("_Dad, how am I supposed to protect myself if you won't let me get up and fight?_"

"_One day Lou-bear, you'll get into a fight, and they'll knock you to the ground. But that's the best place to be._"

"_It is?_"

"_Because it's easier for you to kick their kneecaps in_.")

The woman only needed to take three steps towards Lou, and she'd be close enough.

_One_.

Her _heart_ was racing.

_Two._

Her breaths were deep.

_Three._

Lou rolled on her back, brought both knees to her face, and pushed her legs out with all the force she could. She had felt contact at the bottom of her feet, the satisfying feeling running through her body along with the adrenaline. She untied herself quickly as she struggled off the ground, running away as fast as she could.

It might have been her imagination, but she still heard footsteps running after her.

* * *

><p><em><strong>*Ducks for cover from fruit and vegetable projectiles*<strong>_

_**Review? Favourite? Follow?**_

_**(I might update faster...)**_

_**xoxo N.**_


	6. Six

_**Hey Everyone!**_

_**I had meant to post this chapter yesterday, but fanfiction wasn't posting it properly (what else is new?). I apologize for the inconvenience of leaving you guys in suspense. But not to fret! I am here to make sure all you faithful readers get your dose of The Tin Man's Lament.**_

_**Thank you to everyone who added me to their subscription list and favourites! Special**_** _thanks to _**_New(period)York(period)Celt_ (how can she run if she's slow?), _sonnetStar_ (yes I can leave you hanging like that, I'm evil), _Guest & Guest_ (thank you both so much!), _Clara_ (I try to make it as good as possible for you guys!),_ KijoKuroi_ (pouts have no effect over me!), _Mia_ (thanks darling for the in-depth review :D), _Guest_ (Is every other day okay for you?), _Aylin_ (Lou also wants to punch Hotch too), _YashiHashi_ (every scene looked hilarious in my head), _Sue1313_ (HINT: he won't like Spencer!), _jmdernier_ (I agree with you 1000000%), _TazzieLuv13_ (no oatmeal raisins please), _Black-Sakura-44_ (you will LOVE my Phobia series!) _**and**_ _CalamityBangs_ (muahhahaha) **_for being absolutely amazing human beings and for bringing such joy in my life by reviewing. You guys are the filling in my Oreo, and I love me some Oreos._**

**_BTW: CONTAIN YOUR SCREAMS FOR THIS CHAPTER!_**

**_...And Enjoy!_**

**_P.S. CBS owns Criminal Minds (fucking hell)_**

* * *

><p>Morgan kept Reid behind him as JJ and Derek were the first ones out of the car besides the doctor. He knew Reid wasn't going to be as focused as he was as he made Spencer walk behind him, approaching the main door. JJ opened it, allowing Morgan and Reid to pass through, with the rest of the team behind them. Garcia called them in the car, making them aware of the fact that Lou had indeed been assaulted (via security cameras that had a horrible angle) only two minutes prior, yet escaped the unsub before disappearing from all cameras, the unsub right behind Lou. The team could understand Reid's rushed demeanour as they walked into the building, guns at the ready. Frightened students were escorted by Rossi and Callahan as the team made their way to where Garcia said the attack happened. The four individuals had walked through the hallways, their steps making soft echoes off of the walls.<p>

Reid's eyes saw the droplets of blood on the ground ten feet away from him.

He tried running ahead, but Morgan pushed him back again, a stern look on his face.

"Reid, calm down." Morgan firmly told him.

"She wouldn't have gone far." Spencer ignored Morgan, assessing the area as the three other individuals watched Reid frantically search for answers. _She does not have class._ _She would find a place that she could hide, but also have a weapon she could use to defend herself if she had to-_

He stopped in the middle of the hallway.

"She's in her office upstairs."

Morgan and JJ were already half-way up the staircase.

"What room?" Derek yelled.

"Classroom 317." Spencer shouted at them as they were already at the top, moving on to the next platform. Hotch and Reid were behind JJ and Morgan, who made it to the level that had Lou's office. Following to where Jeffrey Hill's office was, he easily found the sign '_Classroom 317'_, with the heavy curtains blocking the view inside the room. Derek approached the door, noticing it was ajar, with a bit of blood smeared on it. The two teammates looked to each other before Morgan pushed the door open, being exposed to the pitch black room.

He took only a step into the room before JJ saw a bat come swinging out of nowhere, hitting Morgan straight on his torso. His gun clattered to the ground as he fell backwards.

"Morgan!" JJ shouted, looking to her fallen team member.

She looked up to see a bloodied Lou, dropping the aluminum bat as if it were on fire.

"Oh my God! I'm so sorry! Are you okay? Can you breathe? Can you move? Do you need a doctor? I didn't hit you too hard, did I?"

"I'm… fine." Morgan _was_ fine, taking a few moments to catch his breath again. He was just taken by surprise that Professor Richardson not only casually had access to a bat, but she had a mean swing to go along with it. Morgan was thankful that he had been wearing a vest to take most of the impact. It still hurt like hell.

"Are you sure? Now I feel really bad."

Derek chuckled, laughing at the fact that this woman standing over him had been assaulted by a murderer with blood dripping down her face, and she was asking if _he_ was alright, all because she was defending herself.

"It'll take more than a bat to keep me down."

JJ helped him up just as Hotch and Reid rounded the corner. Lou had picked up the agent's gun by the butt, holding it between her index finger and thumb. She handed it to him, the pistol swinging around. Both Jennifer and Derek smiled at her actions, Morgan taking his gun from her as she gave a sheepish smile.

Spencer rushed to Elena, and Morgan noticed how Reid's first instinct was to reach out to the woman, but retracted his arms quickly.

"Ellie."

"Hello Spencer." A quarter of her face was blood.

"Are you alright?" He asked, concern written all over his face.

"Oh, this is nothing." She pointed to the gash on her head. "I'm prone to hurting myself."

That was the moment Lou realized… the FBI was here.

"Not to offend, but I hadn't even called nine-one-one yet and you're already here."

They all looked to one another (save for Reid who was looking at Lou).

"Professor Richardson, you need medical attention," Hotch said, reaching over to guide Elena downstairs. Still feeling some of the animosity that she had for _Agent Hotchner_, she walked past Spencer, JJ, and a man she now knew as Morgan. Reid had taken a step towards her when Derek shook his head. Reid understood what he meant by that. The case was still going on. Ellie was now the main focus of the unsub. Which meant that Spencer could not have a_ familiar _relationship with her while the case was going on.

But he just wanted to make sure she was okay.

Agent Hotchner had been walking beside Lou silently as they slowly made their way down the stairs. She had made it down one flight easily. The next flight on the other hand, Lou felt dizzy, and missed a step. Hotch grabbed her in time, steadying her.

"I've got you." He told her, keeping a firm hold on Lou as she held the railing, walking down the steps.

Her eyes didn't leave her feet after that.

"You have a son, don't you?"

Hotch had no idea how she figured that out.

"Your reflexes are very fast. Ignoring your FBI training, you have a child that is rambunctious and susceptible to injury. Boys are more likely to be rowdier than girls. Plus, you have 'father' written all over you."

It had been a long time since someone could profile him that easily.

"You certainly aren't what I imagined, Professor." Hotch told the woman honestly.

"I don't like first impressions." Lou mumbled, watching her steps carefully.

"And why is that?" Hotch asked.

She allowed herself to look at him for a moment. "Because they are misleading."

He knew what the professor was leading to. "What is the point you're trying to make?"

Lou looked nonchalant in her response. "I'm just conflicted between hugging you and running back to my office to grab my bat for your blatant rudeness yesterday."

Aaron, captivated by the _balls _this woman had, knew that the professor in front of him had been referring to herself and the image that Hotch gave in first meeting Elena. He also thought of himself, wondering how he could think of Professor Richardson in such a negative way. She helped with the case, offering her advice out of the unanimous need to help remove a killer off of the streets.

He noticed her words were breathy as she held onto her side, masking her pain. "I am still wondering why you were so… _pleasant_."

Hotch shook his head at the very kind young woman. "Being degrading to an esteemed consultant on the case is the furthest thing from pleasant."

Lou smiled, her lips separating the vertical red lines on her face. "I was being polite."

"I wasn't," Hotchner admitted, "And for that you have my deepest apologies. Please do not take my unprofessionalism towards you as a personal attack. I let my emotions get the better of myself, masking my ability to be… _polite_."

She slightly laughed. "From how JJ defended you, that's what I've assumed. But I do accept your apology, Agent Hotchner. Hopefully you can give me a better second first impression."

Elena had taken another step, her foot slipping once again. Hotch kept his firm grip on her, catching her.

"Easy," Hotch urged, to which she chuckled.

"Maybe I got hit on the head a little too hard."

"That slip on the stairs indicates you have a concussion, Professor."

"Until further evidence is presented, I'm going to assume I am discombobulated. And please, call me Lou."

They had made it to outside of the building, where the ambulance pulled in at that moment. Rossi and Callahan had been outside, holding the crowd off with the police. Hotch and Lou waited for the EMTs to open the doors to the back of the ambulance as the other two team members approached them.

"Lou," Hotch tried out her name. "This is Agent Rossi, and you've already met Agent Callahan."

Elena's eyes widened in surprise towards Rossi.

"David Rossi? As in the author of _Evil Never Rests_?"

Rossi's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Never pictured you as a fan of serial killers."

"I surprise a lot of people," the woman said cheekily as she was being taken by EMTs to have her wounds looked at.

Callahan, Rossi, and Hotch looked at the woman walking away from them. "How did she manage to get away from the unsub when men _twice _her size couldn't?" Dave asked Aaron.

Hotch crossed his arms. "She's quite intelligent. It would make sense, being quicker to figure out an escape route."

Morgan's voice cut in as JJ and Reid walked out of the building behind him. "She also apparently keeps an aluminum bat in her office. Knows people have an advantage over her, likes to even the odds."

Rossi nodded in appreciation. "Tough girl. Always prepared."

Reid was oblivious to everyone as he stared at the EMTs working on Elena. They sat her down in the back on the ambulance, attending to her wounds. One EMT had been cleaning the blood off of her face in order to see the wound, another was checking over the rest of her vitals, seeing the dilation in her eyes, checking if her reflexes were working, and seeing if there was anything concerning. He was so worried about her, but more specifically, worried about what the unsub could have done to her. Had she stabbed Elena? Did she try to gouge her eyes out? Had she captured her, and did Elena escape? He knew she _looked_ okay, but he also knew the mind was powerful when dealing with trauma.

"Spence," JJ whispered to him.

He looked to her, to which JJ nodded her head towards Lou, as the woman in the ambulance had now been yelling at the man attending to her. He scanned the crowd, noticing the rest of the team had been dispersed, going to either talk with the police or back into the building. He took JJ's smile as encouraging as he walked over towards the professor, who now held the sheer look of fear on her face.

"…thing is _not_ going to come near me, understand?"

"But Miss-"

"_Professor_ Richardson, thank you very much, and if you so much even bring that invasive item near me, I will scream bloody murder."

"Elena," Spencer said, approaching the woman.

Relief washed over Lou the second she spotted the doctor. "Oh thank God! Spencer, please tell this man that I do not need any anesthetics. I don't have a concussion, and yet he is still insisting I listen to his requests. I am perfectly comfortable dealing with excruciating pain without pharmaceuticals coming from _probes_."

The EMT was getting frustrated. "She needs stitches and medication, and she's refusing both."

"Correction. I refuse any medication or stitches that require some form of penetration through the skin."

Spencer smiled brightly, masking his laugh as he realized that Ellie faced someone assaulting her, almost killing her as she ran for her life before defending herself with a bat, and not once had it occurred to her that fear may be a factor. She had her life on the line less than ten minutes previously, and she had been acting as if it was any other time he spoke to her.

Yet, she was scared of needles.

"They have to do their job, Elena." He told her, watching her jaw drop.

"You're on _their_ side?" She asked, astonished.

He looked at her with a frown on his face. "If that means you'll get better, yes. I'm on their side."

Lou wasn't expecting that answer to come from Reid, but when he said those words, it had given her a feeling of hope and comfort that she wasn't accustomed to. The fear was building inside of her, the strong hate for needles had been there for her entire life, and it had never gotten easier. She had to be brave this time. It was going to be hard, but she knew she could be strong. Spencer was with her. She could do this.

"Only if you do something for me." She encouraged from Spencer, to which his concern peaked.

"What do you need?"

She was sheepish in her reply.

"Please hold my hand."

He was startled by the request, but she indicated to Spencer to sit down beside her. He followed her instructions, sitting beside her as the EMT maneuvered her body sideways in order to get a better angle at the wound. Because of this, Elena was facing Spencer. With nervousness, he held out his hand to her, to which she firmly took.

Her skin was soft, like he remembered. Her nails were a light pink. She had skinny fingers, so slender the joints were prominent if she were to spread her hand. She had a ring on her index finger; a small pearl encased in gold. He noticed all the physical aspects of her hand. Although, it did absolutely nothing to explain how he _felt_ holding her hand. Spencer couldn't explain how his ears were ringing, or how it was difficult breathing, or how his _heart_ was beating at an unnatural rate. He also couldn't explain how all those things combined still didn't compare to the euphoria of being able to hold her hand finally. To be so close, to have that type of contact, gave him a short window to be happy. Spencer was giving her the comfort she asked for, and to him, that was all he wanted.

She felt the prick from the needle, but it had been dulled by the sensation of Spencer's thumb that was soothing over her hand.

While she had been scared out of her wits, she could have easily shut her eyes and waited for the inevitable pain, eventually feeling dizzy. But Lou didn't want to do that. Lou wanted an excuse to hold Spencer's hand. Was it a sneaky ploy? Absolutely. But not only did it succeed in distracting, she desperately wanted to feel what it was like to hold Spencer's hand. She held her mother's hand, and father's, and both of her grandparents' hands, but never that of someone that wasn't familial. She never had the desire to, until she had met Spencer. Now Lou could understand why people held hands. Because the feeling of Spencer's hand with long fingers weaving through her slender ones had blossomed a wave of jubilation inside her.

The happiness she felt on the inside could have been seen on her face.

"And I'm done."

Lou looked to the EMT in confusion.

"The medication was the only needle. You have elastic stitches on."

She smiled brilliantly at the man. "Thank you."

Once the EMT left the two individuals alone, Spencer knew he had to tell Elena what was going on.

"Elena," she turned to face him. "You know why we came, didn't you?"

He knew he had to confirm her thoughts. It didn't make it easier seeing her frightened after fully comprehending what happened. "That was the unsub. She had tried killing me."

Spencer nodded, Lou confirming his suspicions on the female unsub.

"But… I thought that her victims were male. It doesn't fit your profile."

This was the part Reid didn't want her to know, but he still had to tell her.

"We originally thought what was connecting all the victims was the university, but, after looking over the case, plus the new victims, and a surveillance video-"

"It's me." Lou whispered in astonishment.

Grimly, he nodded in conformation.

_The killer's after me_?

Spencer watched in a helpless manor as horror flashed over Elena's face.

"I can't bury the memory," Spencer noticed she was frantic in her words. "I have to keep remembering it. Because I have to help catch her. I- I…"

He wanted to do something to calm her down (because the tone of her voice and her deep breaths made him want to wrap his arms around her), but nothing he thought of could help.

But then...

There had been a new kind of fear setting with Lou. _One, two, three. _She ran away from a murderer who had killed several people. Possibly with the same weapon she had seen. _One, two, three. _Lou tried running it over her head. How could she be the fixation to a serial killer? She never offended anyone. She didn't even swear. _One, two, three._ How could that person assume she'd be a viable candidate to kill? Elena rationalized, telling herself that this woman was delusional (_one, two, three_), that she was chosen for an illogical reason that only made sense to the killer. But it didn't help the fear creeping in. _One, two, three_. Realizing the automatic tapping that was occurring, she sighed in relief, letting her favourite routine calm her down._  
><em>

_One, two, three._

Until Lou realized she wasn't the one tapping.

_One, two, three._

It was Spencer's finger keeping the rhythm on her hand.

She gasped in shock as her chocolate eyes met his; a nervous, but reassuring smile on his face.

That was the _sweetest_ gesture anyone had ever done for her.

The tears that collected in her eyes were involuntary, because not only had he found out about her OCD, he had used it in a way that helped her instead of seeing it as a disability. To her, that was huge. She struggled with the number "3" every day of her life. Although accepting that this is something she had to do, it still was a burden to bear. Yet Spencer noticed it, and he didn't shy away or disregard it. He knew it was important too. They both shared a new level of intimacy that left the greatest feeling inside of her. He cared about her enough to comfort her with her nervous tick-

She cut herself off in her mental rant, realizing that he _cared_ about her.

Ellie's tearful eyes met Reid's encouraging ones, both of them silent and smiling as they held each other's hand, Spencer keeping the pace.

[ + ]

Hotch and Rossi had been watching Spencer and Lou interact the entire time.

"He's getting too personal with the professor." Hotch was beginning to like Lou, but he still knew there were protocols. She was now the only victim to have survived the unsub, and that made her a large part of the case. Reid had to remain professional, even if Aaron liked the idea that Spencer had been moving on with someone that was his equal. The FBI was strict, and Hotch's team was always the one under the magnifying glass. He didn't want Reid to ruin his career over something that could have been handled properly.

"There's nothing wrong with comforting a witness, Hotch." Rossi was defending the two individuals holding hands.

"I know, but the Bureau won't see it that way."

David shrugged. "What they don't know won't hurt them."

Hotch remembered what Reid said about the professor previously.

"_Elena is my friend_."

Spencer certainly didn't say it in a _friendly_ tone.

"He had called her 'Ellie' earlier."

Rossi looked at the man beside him. "It would make sense. Her name is Elena."

"Dave-"

"Hotch," David cut him off. "Look at the kid."

He _was_ looking at Reid, seeing how Spencer smiled in a way he'd never seen before. He looked at the woman who was holding his hand as if she had given him a jump start. Aaron saw how elated the young genius was, but more importantly, how relaxed Reid looked. Hotch had never seen the kid with so much control over himself, looking at his calm demeanour. All because he was holding the hand of Professor Richardson.

"We'll have to be careful, Dave."

Rossi looked at his old friend.

"We?" He asked, flabbergasted.

Hotch nodded. "Reid isn't going to be thinking properly. He'll only be worried about Lou. We need to catch the unsub quickly, make sure she is protected at all times, and keep the interactions between the professor and Reid under the radar of the Bureau."

"You make it sound so easy, Hotch."

"With what we've already accomplished, it will be."

Rossi's smile mirrored Hotch's as both gentlemen turned to the two geniuses, watching as an animated Lou was speaking to Spencer about something, most likely one of her cherished novels. Their fingers had still been intertwined, both individuals appearing to not have notice that they were still holding each other's hand.

(But they did notice.)

[ + ]

"_FBI Wonder God Garcia, at your service._"

"Penelope?"

"…_Who is it I'm speaking to?_"

"It's Professor Richardson. Lou?"

"_Oh thank Jesus, Buddha, and Kelly Clarkson! The team got to you!_"

"Yes, but I had to make sure to call you."

"_That's a little… weird._"

"Considering the fact that you're the last person to thank, no, it's not."

"_Me? You're thanking me?_"

"You were the one who found out I was being stalked. If you hadn't, they might not have scared off the unsub, and I might not be here speaking to you."

"_I- I'm just doing my job_."

"And you are phenomenal at it, Penelope."

"_I… oh gosh. Well, then you're welcome, Lou._"

"Keep saving lives, Wonder God."

Lou had hung up the phone, the small interview room she had walked into being the perfect place to give Penelope a phone call. As she was walking into the police station, Spencer explained to her how the team found out she was being attacked. He told Lou how Garcia searched through security videos, finding one that showed the unsub watching the first time Spencer and Elena had met. It left the professor uneasy, knowing that she should have trusted her instincts days prior. The initial shock was overcome by the desire to thank the amazing technical analyst who could work wonders. Lou smiled as she walked out of the room, realizing that Garcia had _indeed_ been a God in her own element.

Spencer was leaning against the wall down the hallway, waiting for her.

Elena walked up to Spencer as he straightened himself out.

"I would really like to meet Penelope. She sounds delightful."

"She is," He responded.

Before Lou could respond, her cellphone rang again. Spencer noticed it was a picture of an older gentleman with the caller ID "_The Wizard_".

"Your father?"

"Indeed. This is sixth time calling."

"Should you answer it?" He questioned, watching Ellie shake her head.

"Conversations with my dad always end in getting what he wants, so, no, I'd rather not."

"But you love him?"

Lou nodded. "Extremely."

"So why the hostility?"

"Spencer-" she had faced him before realizing she had a scolding tone to her. Not because she didn't want Spencer to know about her (quite the opposite), but the relationship was complicated. She took a moment to collect herself before speaking to the doctor again.

"In his eyes, I'm still that naïve little girl with her head stuck in a book."

Spencer opened the door for Elena. With a playful curtsey, she had walked into the main room where the maps and pictures of the victims had been displayed on portable boards. Morgan, Callahan and JJ were all in the room as well, acknowledging the professor and their teammate. Spencer watched as her steps slowed down, her eyes scanning over not only the items pinned, but also his work on deciphering who the unsub was. He could see the frown marring her face, and he didn't like the fact Elena's mood had turned sour.

"Elena?" He asked, hesitant at her answer.

"I am definitely the target."

Lou turned to face the concerned profilers.

"I taught Martin his first year at the university, since we both started off at the same age. I was constantly helping him with his essays. He graduated top of his class. We had coffee every other Thursday."

Lou looked back at the boards, looking at the happy smile on Mundz.

"How do you know Washmund?" Morgan asked.

Elena's eyes didn't move from the pictures.

"He was my drug dealer_._"

The look on Callahan's face was impressed, while JJ and Morgan were thrown off at the openness Lou had. Spencer on the other hand figured her to have some form of drug abuse. Her mind was just advanced as his, so he'd figured that she would have an addiction of some sort.

"Oxycodone?" Spencer guessed.

"Sometimes mixed with lorazepam. Mundz- _Rory_ knew how I liked my concoction."

"How many years have you been sober?" Kate asked.

"Four. Rory had two years on him, getting sober after being fired."

JJ looked at the files in her hand. "Did you still keep in contact?"

Lou sighed, crossing her arms on her chest. It was a long day, which had gotten longer, knowing that the first two victims were Marty and Mundz. What was worse, they had only died because of the connection to her. "Not in the past few weeks. He had started using again."

"Do you frequent the same hairstylist?" Morgan asked.

She looked at Morgan, puzzled. "No, sorry. I go to a new one every month."

Elena looked to Spencer, who shared the same smile she did. She knew that Spencer would be thinking of how stressful it was for a person with some form of OCD to adapt to a change, even as simple as a small trim. So stressful, it would almost be comical. The other teammates were on the other end, confused, noticing the Kid Wonder had picked up on something that the other three had no clue about.

Lou shrugged her shoulders. "It's hard finding the proper hair technicians these days."

The look of comprehension somewhat crossed the face of the profilers.

Morgan had moved to grab a pen and pad of paper. "We can compile a list of people who you feel could be a potential suspect, Lou."

Elena shrugged. "I've already got five people in mind."

He indicated for the professor to walk over to where he was. He gave the pen and paper, to which Lou took with a smile on her face. Morgan stared at the kind professor. He could see the reason why she had caught onto the sights of Reid; she was just like him. Intelligent in her own manor with a quickness unparalleled. She brought an aura that unknowingly intimidated those around her, and that naïve nature wasn't from ignorance, but just a deeper understanding, while missing the simple point altogether. She also carried an inner strength that most people could never muster up. She mirrored Reid, but also stood apart from him. Derek couldn't help but notice they were two sides of the same coin.

Lou had slowed down writing her potential lists of suspects, which Morgan noticed. Lou could feel eyes on her, looking up to see the concerned Agent Morgan staring back at her.

"This woman is killing men I've come in contact with."

"Yes." Morgan said, albeit confused. _She already knows this_.

"So, that means, she's most likely stalking other men I know. All because I'm too nice for my own good."

Reid had taken alarm at Lou's distress.

"This isn't your fault, Ellie." Spencer had come up beside her, not knowing how to comfort her. "The unsub is using you as a gateway to hunt down her targets. Her focus is to find spouses of women with long hair. It's purely coincidental that they had all gotten their haircut around the same time."

"But she still finds me important, which is _why_ she's put me as her main focus. It _is_ my fault, whether or not it's indirect," the professor confessed, her hands automatically rubbing together.

Feeling the weight of the world on her shoulders, Elena gave back the potential lists of suspects to Morgan, whose concern only grew for the guilt-ridden women. The professor had felt miserable. The killer had been picking individuals that she had a personal connection to. She felt like she did something wrong. Not only that, she felt like she could have _done_ something to prevent it. Lou shouldn't have forced herself to be more social with people. She should just have remained a recluse her whole life. That way, Lisa and Marty would have celebrated their second anniversary. Rory would have been beating his addiction again. Jeffrey would still be a happy jerk, and her poor student, Roman, could have enjoyed the bright future that was ahead of him.

Kate watched the frown grow on the young professor's face. She could see how distraught Lou was, knowing she was at the center of the unsub's delusion. More so, she could point out the stress Reid had, not being able to help the woman he was captivated by. Callahan, however, had been a pro at making people happy her entire life, with her cheesy jokes and silly approach. Meg had been practice for the last thirteen years, so Kate knew how to distract sad people until they didn't remember the reason for their pain.

"Hey, Lou." Kate called to her, pulling her phone out. "Come sit beside me for a second."

Elena had walked over towards Agent Callahan, who had insisted on calling her Kate. She sat in the seat beside her, holding on for dear life as the agent suddenly pulled the seat closer to her, making the two women touch shoulders.

"Have you seen the video of Nellie the Sea Otter?"

"I have not." Curious, Lou looked at Kate pulling up the 'YouTube' application on her phone, searching up for the specific video. Letting the video load for a moment, Kate pressed play, looking more at Lou's reaction.

"Oh!" Lou cried in delight. "She's stacking the cups!"

The smile on her face was all Kate needed to confirm that she had Lou hook, line, and sinker.

"Look at how smart she is! She's absolutely adorable! Ooh! She's so _proud_ too!"

Callahan managed to sneak a glance at Spencer, who had been staring at her.

_Thank you_, the brilliant doctor mouthed to his new friend.

Kate sent him a wink, going back to the video.

"She even recognizes that she put the cups wrong and rearranges it. That's it, I am getting one. They can live in my bathtub."

* * *

><p><em><strong>Review? Favourite? Subscribe?<strong>_

_**Waiting for your feedback!**_

_**xoxo N.**_

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><p><em>Next Time: "Be careful."<em>


	7. Sept

**_Hey Everyone!_**

**_Yay! Another early upload to start your day! Thank you to all those that subscribed to me (we are now at 73 followers and HOLY SWEET BABY JESUS THAT GIVES ME FEELS._**

**_Special shoutout to _**_sonnetStar_ (What the hell, how could it feel like ages? I've updated three times a week!),_ Arminia_ (Thank you! Although, I think Lou is perfectly imperfect),_ TazzieLuv13_ (OMG I LOVE PANDAS TOO. BUT HAVE YOU SEEN RED PANDAS. OH SWEET LORD.),_ Sue1313_ (Sue, I promise you, Reid is not the next target on the ubsub's list. He's not even a significant other!),_ MiaR_ (LOL I never expected anyone to see Lou as 'gansta', but now that I do it makes sense! [Also, thank you for you lovely comment]),_ Aylin_ (You would be correct. It's going to take a long time for Spencer to open up, which will leave a great story!),_ Guest_ (Isn't Nellie the sweetest little thing?),_ CalamityBangs_ (Thanks Caly! Sending you virtual kisses and hugs!),_ and HannahBananasxx_ (thank you my new friend!)_ **for being awesome human beings and leaving me a review!**_

_**I won't keep you guys any longer, so...**_

_**Enjoy!**_

_**P.S. Criminal Minds does not belong to me (wahhhh).**_

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><p>The professor knew that what she was watching was a rare sight, her eyes trained on all the profilers as they worked. Lou picked up on new facts about the people she just met that day. Derek Morgan specialized in obsessive crimes, as he had a better understanding of how the unsub would react to certain things. Kate Callahan had been an expert with undercover surveillance before joining the team recently. Jennifer Jareau used to the communications liaison for the team (Lou saw her on television a handful of times, which made sense), but now was a profiler like her team mates. David Rossi, apart from being one of her favourite authors, he had been a hostage negotiator. Aaron Hotcher had the mannerisms and intellectual vernacular of a lawyer, and when Rossi mentioned in a side comment about Hotch's time as a prosecutor, she smiled at being right.<p>

She was mesmerized. These select group of people were amazing at their jobs.

Lou's phone began ringing again (_The Wizard – Mobile_). She ignored what was now the twenty-third call as she pulled herself from her thoughts, listening to Kate speak. "…Montage slammed the doors in our face, and Devon Yates was too distraught to speak to us. We couldn't get any information out of them, Hotch."

The room was quiet for a moment, and Elena felt eyes on her. She turned her head (expecting Spencer), looking straight into the eyes of Agent Hotchner. Lou immediately stopped reading _Tess of the d'Urbervilles _in the confides of her mind. He had the look. The look to which the agent was about to ask an array of questions.

"Lou, how much do you remember?" He asked, the whole team shifting their attention to their boss and the professor.

She shrugged. "In my estimation, everything."

Before Hotch could respond, Morgan pulled up a chair in front of the professor.

"Lou, would you be comfortable here, going over what happened? If not, we can move to a more secluded area."

She shook her head. "I feel comfortable. Actually, more comfortable than I've ever been in my life. Might have to do with the fact there's six FBI agents with guns protecting me, so..."

Kate laughed along with Rossi, while JJ and Hotch smiled. Derek's grin was plastered on his face, his eyes watching as Spencer sat on the desk that Lou was sitting beside, her arm against the side of the wood. He had been twirling his thumbs, staring at Lou's hands.

"I need you to close your eyes for me." Derek ignored Spencer's puppy dog eyes for the woman in front of Morgan. "Take me back to just before what happened."

("_California, rest in peace…_")

"It was just after my three-oh-four- sorry, my Children's Literature class. I was walking down the hallway, thinking of…"

She opened her left eye, peering around at the agents staring at her.

"…thinking of Spencer, and his comments on _Winnie the Pooh_." Lou admitted.

She shut her eyes again, too embarrassed to look at the doctor to the left of her.

"Is there anyone there?"

"No one," she remembered the empty hallway, remembering the event that was happening. "Almost my entire class ran out after I ended my lecture. There's a burger truck giving out free food. The line went around the block."

"That's good, Lou. Tell me, what did it smell like?"

"Smell?" Elena opened her eyes, staring at Morgan, startled.

He tipped his head. "Anything helps."

"O…kay?" She adjusted herself, closing her eyes again. "It smelled like…"

Lou's eyebrows furrowed, a grimace on her features.

"Lou?" Derek questioned. He could see she was picking up on something that she hadn't thought she remembered.

"It smelled like mold, and books, and a bit of pork, which is typical, but…"

"Take a deep breath," Derek encouraged, which Lou did automatically. "The hallway smells like it normally would. What smells different?"

She took a moment to think. _The horrid smell._ It smelled like something burning. Not from combustion.

"Chemicals. It faintly smelled like chemicals burning. Its familiar but-"

"Easy, Lou. You hit your head pretty hard today, I don't want to strain you further than needed. What did you hear?"

Lou ran the memory over in her head. "My singing. My breaths, and… footsteps."

"Are they yours?"

"No," Lou was wringing her hands together. "I stopped singing so I could make sure they weren't mine. I walked with softer steps, yet the footsteps I heard sounded the same."

"What happened after?"

She took another deep breath, one that disconnected in fluidity.

"There was a squeak, coming from a pair of shoes. And then, when I heard clothing scratching against itself, I started running. I heard footsteps running after me."

"Did they catch you?"

"Yes."

"Where did they grab you?" Derek asked, watching as the fear was growing on her face.

"It was a woman. I could tell it was a woman. She grabbed me by my legs. Wait... No, she didn't, she was going to, and then I kicked her, and ran away… but… how did I get on the ground? I don't…"

She looked at Agent Morgan, feeling disconnected.

"I don't remember."

Lou was confused. She clamped her eyes shut, almost willing the memory out of her subconscious. There had to be a place in her Manor where the memory had been tucked away somewhere. This had never happened to her before. She could always remember everything. Yet when she tried remembering the events leading up to her escape, she was a bit fuzzy. Had she tripped? Was she pulled by the hair? Did she get tasered? The professor was confused, but more frustrated at herself for forgetting such an important piece of her memory. What was an eidetic memory good for if it couldn't remember every detail?

She opened her eyes as she felt a tap on her shoulder. Looking up to where Spencer was sitting, he was holding something out towards her. More specifically pencils. Even more specifically, three pencils. He saw she was distressed, and attempted to try to help her the same way he had did before. Not that she was so distraught she needed her routine at that moment. _He is the most caring and cutest human being in the world_. Lou erupted into a fit of giggles, taking the pencils from Spencer, who smiled at her laugh. The rest of the team members had been completely lost at the interaction between the two, not realizing why a handful of pencils were hilarious.

Lou's laugh cut off as she stared off in her own world, placing the pencils back on the table. Spencer's little distraction had caused her to calm down, remembering.

The memory was in the basement, where she kept all the bad thoughts.

"Clackers. She threw clackers at my legs."

Elena had added to the team's confusion before Spencer spoke up.

"The childhood toy that consists of two acrylic balls attached to a long, sturdy string."

"Ker-bangers? Explains how she could easily subdue the victims, goes with the juvenile theme for the unsub." Morgan said towards the team.

"Back in my day," Rossi had started, "kids would try wrapping them around flagpoles and goal posts. I only saw two kids accomplish that. It would be very difficult to control them."

"Not if you've been using them for years," Lou said, a memory resurfacing at Rossi's words. "I know someone who's a professional with them, but uses metal balls instead of plastic…"

Lou's _heart_ dropped into her stomach, all of her memories flooding in front of her. Her eyes widened, remembering past events in a new light, realizing that she had known who the unsub was the entire time.

"What is it?" Morgan persuaded.

"Ammonium thioglycolate. I smelled perm chemicals."

Lou stood up, pacing frantically.

The unsub was Caroline's hairstylist.

"Her name is Joyce. I don't known her last name."

Hotch whipped his phone out as the team breathed a sigh of relief. They had half of a name, which to Garcia was all the powerful techie needed to catch the killer. Spencer noticed Lou hadn't kept her normal rhythm as she paced the carpet, a piece of her pink hair in between her fingers.

"Caroline, my best friend, always teased me for never doing anything with my hair. Always dragging me to the salon with her. We've been going together for years. Her hair technician begged me to never do anything to my hair, like she had been obsessed with mine. When I told her randomly one day I had wanted to dye it, she had flat-out refused to do it. I went to her co-worker to get it done, and Joyce was _livid_ at me. She told me to never come back to the salon."

"When was this?" Hotch said, the phone to his ear.

"A month ago," Lou told the agent, unconsciously touching the pink tips in her hair.

"That's roughly when the killings started." Kate said to the team.

Lou mumbled to herself. "How could she kill people?"

"For various reasons," Spencer told her.

She shook her head. "That's not what I mean, Spencer."

Hotch placed the phone on the table. "Garcia, we need all the information we can get."

"_Believe it or not there are thirteen Joyce's that work in a hair salon_."

"Virtuoso, off of Chamberlayne." Lou spoke to the woman on the phone.

"_Holy cannoli, not Joyce Lombard?_"

"Garcia, you know her?" Morgan asked.

"_Not personally. She is a whiz with a weave, making wigs for cancer patients. She's the go-to girl if you want to donate. …And has recently been fired, and got her licensed revoked four days ago._"

Derek looked to the team. "There's the trigger for escalation."

"Why was she fired, Garcia?" JJ asked.

"_She had been personally calling her clients, persuading them into cutting their hair. Some of them hadn't given their consent when they arrived, and Psycho of the Year had still gone through with it._"

"Do we have an address?" Hotch asked the tech analyst.

"_Nothing as of three months ago, boss, but I will keep digging like I'm a dog with a bone._"

Lou's hands had turned red from the constant rubbing she did. The team had noticed the brilliant woman's frantic nature. Spencer noticed, however, that Lou had been speaking to herself, picking up on what she was saying by looking at her lips, piecing together several words in order to form the sentences. "_She killed them because I dyed my hair. Because I broke routine. I never break routine and nothing happens but the second I do something different I get four people killed_._"_ Reid hadn't hesitated as he walked up to her, grabbing her hand as he pulled her into the hallway. He hadn't cared if the team saw him through the glass doors. They couldn't read lips. He held both of her hands in his, feeling the heat on both of her palms from the constant friction.

"You need to stop thinking that this is your fault." He was stern with her, and he didn't like using that tone of voice. But he had to be firm in order for Elena to snap out of what she was thinking.

"Spencer-"

"There is no logical reasoning for it."

Lou sighed. "I'm riddled with emotions. I'm not using my head, Spencer."

"Well, you should be. We need to find out where the unsub is, and you are the only link."

She was about to respond to his harsh nature, but she realized the doctor was right. She was overthinking, and placing unneeded blame on herself. She was affecting herself emotionally for no reason. She looked at their hands; Spencer was holding hers tightly, as if he wanted to enjoy every second of it, as if he didn't know the next time he'd be able to hold her hand. She let him comfort her by his touch, relaxing as she took a moment to think. The killer had been delusional in her attempt to kill men who were projections of her prince. Lou had realized that Joyce had fit the profile perfectly as she mentioned key points to Spencer.

"Joyce has cancer," she told him. "Lymphoma. That's why I'm wondering _how _she could kill those people. Not only that, but before the cancer, she had signs of dementia. Her interest on her own hair had been abnormal."

"Explains the fascination, plus with the chemo therapy could have added to her psychosis. Do you know anything about her past?"

"Her mother gave her up to her aunt, who was abusive. She told me about the time she was tied to a chair as her aunt cut all of her hair off."

_Childhood trauma_, Reid noted.

"And… Oh no."

"What is it?"

"She had a boyfriend. He died four years ago."

_When the stalking began._

Reid let go of her hands, pushing the door open towards the team.

"Have Garcia search up Lombard's past relationships and any known addresses in the boyfriend's name."

"Did you get that, Penelope?" Derek asked.

"_What kind of question is that my steaming hot jungle gym_? _Jacob Stevenson is still paying his rent at 3115 Delrio Drive_."

"Let's move," Hotch said with urgency. The entire team had been up in a matter of seconds, Lou saw, making their way out of the office quickly and into the car. Spencer had turned to face the professor.

"Stay at the police station."

Lou felt like she was going to expel her lunch. "Will she be there?"

"Most likely." Elena could tell he was conflicted between staying at the police station with her, and helping his team. She was never the person to keep someone from doing their job, especially when their job was as important as Spencer's was. "But there is a chance that the unsub would be at a secondary location-"

"Go," she urged. "Catch her."

Spencer had been awed by her. She was one of the bravest people that he had met, even with the constant fear she had been dealing with the past few hours. He looked back to his team as they were about to get into the SUVs before turning back towards Ellie. She had an encouraging smile on her face as she leaned forward to hold his hand tightly, doing the same thing to him as he had done earlier to her.

"Be careful." She whispered to him.

Lou held onto his hand for as long as she could before Spencer let go, running towards the cars. She hadn't liked the feeling she had as she watched Spencer climb into the backseat of the dark truck, the red and blue flashing before fading off into the distance. Elena had taken a deep breath, trying to rid herself of her worries when her phone rang again. A picture of her favourite redhead with the name '_Toto_' appeared on her screen.

"Hey Linnie."

"…_Okay, now I know for sure that there's something fucking wrong_. _And on my favourite day too._"

Lou pulled the phone from her ear, checking the caller, and yes, it was her best friend. _Not Caroline's typical greeting_.

"Why would you assume that?"

"_You only call me Linnie when you feel like shit. Also, your father has been trying to call you, and, oh yeah, since he only got a hold of me he told me that there was a serial killer after you?_"

Elena groaned, flopping down into the nearest chair. "_Of course_ my dad chooses to be best friends with the Director of the FBI."

"_Can we stop avoiding the subject, Lou?_"

"What's the point? You already know what's going on. They're catching the person now."

"_You were attacked by a serial killer, and you didn't think you'd mention that to me?_"

Lou hadn't thought of it that way.

"I was going to tell you."

"_When? When you were dead?_"

"This happened two hours ago."

"_And in those two hours, you couldn't pick up the phone or send a text?_"

"Caroline-"

"_I get that you get lost in your mansion. But you forget the people that live in there._"

Lou couldn't find the words to respond.

"_Whatever Elena. I'm just calling to let you know your dad knows where you are._"

The dread that came from what Caroline had said left a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach as she put the phone into her back pocket. It would be three months she had last seen her dad, and they hadn't ended on good terms ("_Lou, be reasonable. You can't just be an English professor for your entire life._" "_I like teaching. I also like teaching literature. Why can't you be like Mom and support my decisions?_" "_Because you are supposed to amount to more than teaching silly children's fables"_). She hated how her father was in such a high-ranking position within the government. While he loved his daughter and his wife, he loved his job more. Or more specifically, the title that came with the job. The title, which he held for almost fifteen years, had changed the relationship she had with her father the second his name changed. He had been her Daddy Dearest one minute, and Daddy Dissatisfied the next. But it wasn't like her father was there enough to hear her nickname for him.

_Perks of being a U.S. Ambassador._

[ + ]

"Clear."

Morgan was frustrated with the outcome of their lead. While they had found the home that Joyce Lombard had been occupying, the team had missed their opportunity. Rossi had been interviewing the neighbours while Hotch had been on the phone (which Derek realized that it had been a serious phone call). The home was in disarray, pizza boxes creating towers on the counter in the kitchen as articles of clothing were making mountains on the floor. Derek walked through the home, inspecting several items on the floor. Kate had been beside him as they looked for any clues as to where the unsub was.

"I'm gonna bake this woman a cake," he heard Callahan mumble to herself. He looked to the pair of jeans in her hand, fresh blood on one pant leg.

"Lou wounded the unsub." Pride was in his tone.

"Makes our job easier."

"Guys," JJ's muffled voice called out from the basement. "Come take a look at this."

Morgan and Callahan had walked down the steps, realizing what they were seeing the second in came into their view. There had been mannequins lined up against the wall. With each mannequin, a long wig was displayed, along with a piece of tape on the chest reading out a name. Reid, who had followed Derek and Kate, had walked up to each of the plastic bodies, looking at the bold words standing out. '_Mia_', '_Luisa', 'Marcy', 'Ellen', 'Lisa', 'Devon', 'Jenny',_ all the names corresponding to hair colour from dark to light_._ Reid was afraid there had been more victims, knowing that the trophies Lombard took signified an attempt to restore the unsub's beloved prince. Spencer kept walking, noticing one mannequin that did not have a wig, however had the name '_Lou' _written on it. Knowing the extent the unsub had gone to in order to assault Elena in retaliation for the professor changing her appearance made Spencer uneasy. He held his distressed emotions, hiding them from the team as he turned to face them.

"The unsub's frantic," he said to the team, looking over the instruments Lombard used to create the wigs. "She'll most likely try to regroup in a familiar territory."

"The university?" JJ offered.

Morgan shook his head. "Unlikely. Units have been canvasing the area since this morning."

"Do you think she has a secondary location?" Kate mentioned, looking over the tools. "This is where she creates the wigs, but she's a hairstylist. That would come first."

Spencer looked at the wigs. "She'd have a list of clientele who have been accumulating for years."

"Losing her chair at the salon wouldn't stop her, she would just contact her clients to meet her in a private area she'd constructed," JJ said to her teammates.

Derek pulled his phone out. "I'll text Garcia, have her contact Lombard's clients."

Hotch chose that moment to walk down into the basement.

"We've got a problem," Hotch told his team, Rossi making his way down the stairs as well.

"What is it?" JJ asked.

"The case just became high priority, straight from the Director."

Each team member looked to one another, unsure as to why this case had been a high priority. Spencer, on the other hand, had an idea. He remembered how Ellie mentioned her father had been a diplomat, which meant he had influence within the government. He also noticed the amount of phone calls Lou had been ignoring from '_The Wizard_', counting the twenty three times he saw her look at her phone is discontentment. If Spencer was correct (obviously), he'd know that Mr. Richardson was behind making this case a priority.

The team had been making their way out of the basement before Spencer's phone began ringing. He retrieved it from his pocket, the name _Penelope Garcia_ lighting up his screen. He placed the phone to his ear, wondering why the happiest member on the team had been calling him.

"Hello?"

"_Di__d you know you and your professor have something in common_?"

"She's not-" Spencer stopped himself before he would say something he regretted. "…What do we have in common?"

"_You both love Halloween, which need I remind you is in five days._"

Reid's spirits were lifted. Ellie liked Halloween?

"While that is great news, Garcia, I'm still not following what your intentions are."

"_News flash. Perfect opportunity to take her on a date!_"

Horror ran through Reid. "No, absolutely not."

"_Okay, I may have been too brazen with the word_," Garcia was retracting her statement, realizing it was too soon to call anything a 'date'. "_Don't make it a date, date. Just assume it's two friends going out_."

"Say we do 'go out' for Halloween, where would I take her?"

"_Four words. Rocky. Horror. Picture. Show._"

Spencer thought about it for a moment. He had read something in the paper about the same movie Garcia had said, but what was called a "shadow cast" of a 70s movie that apparently had a cult following. It was a Halloween special, with '_One Night Only!_' being the main tagline for the performance. He never was a fan of film, but he knew that a shadow cast entailed actors performing a specific movie while it played on a large screen in the background. It seemed like an innocent enough idea, and he had no plans for Halloween.

"There's a performance at the local theatre, right?"

"_You got it._"

"Penelope… Would… Would she like something like that?"

"_Reid. I did not just spend three hours stalking Lucy's tumblr, finding you the perfect first non-date ever for you to screw it up majestically. So relax, genius. You'll be fine."_

"So she'd like it."

Reid heard her exasperated sigh. "_No, she's going to love it._"

"Thanks Garcia, and by the way… Lucy?"

"_What? So you can give her a new nickname, but Heaven forbid I do?_"

Reid threw his head back in embarrassment.

The team was talking behind his back again.

[ + ]

_This is good_.

Extremely childish was more like it, as Lou holed herself up in one of the women's bathroom stalls, running faster than she ran away from the unsub at the sight of her father's security detail making their way into the building. She didn't want to look at Charles Richardson at the moment, preferably until Christmas (maybe New Year's). Her father had walked into the building with a saunter that made her roll her eyes. She had loved her father greatly, but knowing that he chose U.S. Ambassador dulled the feelings she had for him. Lou knew it was only a matter of time before someone would find her, so she enjoyed sitting on the toilet seat, closing her eyes as she was finishing _Tess of the d'Urbervilles_.

_This is really good. I can wait it out until the FBI comes back-_

The bathroom door opened, and Lou lifted her legs in order to hide them from peering eyes. She held her breath, not even attempting to blink as she waited for the person to finish with their business.

"You can come out, Lou."

_Oh for Christ's sake, even a women's washroom isn't off limits?_

She squeezed her eyes shut, discouragement coursing through her body as she placed her Chucks back onto the ground. Unlocking the stall, she came face to face with the man who had indirectly saved her life. Charles Richardson had been tall, with a bulky physical appearance. _Working out more in order to send subliminal messages to his colleagues that he is both mentally and physically strong_. Aside from his towering physique, Charles and Elena had been identical; same hair and eye colour, same facial features (slender nose, high cheekbones, bushy eyebrows), and same sarcastic demeanour. The most common thing they shared, however, was how the two individuals were both stubborn as mules.

"CJ, long time no see." Lou brushed past her father, going to wash her hands as a way to avoid him.

"Is that anyway to greet your father?"

She turned to him, faking astonishment. "What? My father? When did this happen?"

He completely ignored her, continuing. "Why hadn't you returned my calls?"

"Because between you calling and me ignoring each call, I had no time."

Charles huffed in frustration. "This is not a time for games, Elena."

"Fine." She threw the paper towel away, crossing her arms. "Now you, unfortunately, have my undivided attentions."

They were both spiteful. But the difference between Lou and CJ was that her father's actions in lashing out had affected her worse than anything she could say to him.

"The Manor is being cleaned for your arrival."

All bitterness for her father had faded when she realized what he meant by that. He was going to whisk her away from the public eye. All emotions were replaced by the sheer anger that he father had the audacity to treat her like a child, _again_. Yes, she had ignored his calls, but she knew if they were answered, the situation at hand would have been a lot worse. (Lou's habit of hanging up without saying goodbye would intensify if her father was on the line, as she would wait for him to say the most important topic before ending the conversation without a response). At this moment, however, Lou was furious that she hadn't answered a call. It would have been satisfying to cut him off.

"You are _not_ locking me up in the house like I am some damsel in distress!"

Charles was going to answer, but Lou had continued.

"Every single time, every single damn time." Elena was now thoroughly upset. "You always selectively choose when to be a parent, and I _always_ suffer from your decisions."

She ignored the flicker of pain in his eyes, knowing what she meant.

"Lou, be reasonable about this." Her father had urged her.

"I am being reasonable. There is a serial killer out there-"

"-who is after you." Charles had cut in.

"Thank you, I hadn't noticed."

The ambassador had been getting frustrated. "Elena Lucille Richardson-"

"Theodore Charles Joseph Richardson-"

"Lou, don't play this shit with me."

She was defensive. "I thought we weren't playing games, _Father_."

CJ held his tongue, knowing that his daughter was trying to antagonize him. She had always referred to him as '_Father_' when she was trying to be condescending.

"Lou-bear, please." Elena knew he was playing dirty the second her childhood nickname escaped his lips. "I need to keep you safe. You're my only child. My precious, too-smart daughter."

"I will be safe." Lou had walked up closer to her father. Although she hated how power hungry he was, she was still a daddy's girl. "Do you remember the day you took me to the backyard? When you told me about how it was easier being on the floor against an opponent?"

"Kick out their kneecaps," he confirmed.

She softly smiled. "I needed that information today. It saved my life, so, thank you."

Elena waited for her father's response.

Charles looked at the copy of himself. "Just a week. One week."

Lou shook her head at her father, mad at the fact he had ignored the _one_ time she had been nice to him in the entire conversation.

"I need you to understand that I want to stay here. I love the Manor, but this is my home-"

He had ignored her again. "Let the professionals handle this. Don't think I don't know about the consulting you did to help. Lou, always the brave one in over her head. You're going to get yourself killed with your foolishness. Do the job you've chosen. Don't meddle in other people's business."

She stopped herself from rolling her eyes in front of her father at his attempt to be persuading. It was a habit that had gotten her grounded on several occasions.

"I'm not staying because of the case."

_Oh no. I just gave him the ammunition. He's going to figure it out_.

Her father scrutinized her for a moment, looking over his daughter. The last time he saw her, there had been no pink in her hair. He stared at his Lou-bear, who placed an impassive mask on her face. Right away, he knew she had been hiding something. When his little Elena Lucille had been growing up, she had been an open book. Charles could always figure out what had been running around in the large expanse of Lou's brain, because he had the same mind. He looked at his brilliant daughter who was just like him. She was the English professor that was highly regarded by those around her, but to Charles, she was the cheerful little girl with long braids who always carried a book, so much potential within her. She always was forthcoming about her emotions to her father, as her emotions interested her greatly. The only emotion she refused to speak to her father about was small infatuations with boys.

"It's one of those agents, isn't it? The one that had asked you to consult on the case?"

Lou dreaded to where her father was leading on to. She was fed up with being troubled about how invasive her father was. He had no regard for ethics as he knew information about everyone he came across, and all he had to do was ask his "_bestie", _the Director of the FBI. Lou looked at her father's disapproving expression. As God and Antoinette Richardson as her witnesses, she could prove that Charles Richardson was the biggest shit-disturber of her life.

"Not this again," Lou whined.

CJ was frustrated. "A G-Man? Really, Lou?"

"Please save your soliloquy on how I could do _so_ much better. Tell me, who should _you_ prefer that I marry and help bear your grandchildren? A Dubai prince? A CEO of a multibillion dollar oil company? Obama's speech writer?"

"Anything but an FBI agent," her father said out of vindictiveness.

Charles had taken a moment to realize the expression on his daughter's face was pure rage. He realized his mistake as he knew hit a nerve, and a very sensitive one at that.

_This is more than a crush._

"_Doctor_ Spencer Reid is a highly-regarded agent who graduated top of his class at Caltech with Ph.D.s in Mathematics, Chemistry and Engineering, as well as B.A.s in Sociology and Psychology. His IQ reaches to a hundred eighty seven _and_ he is known to be the only agent to join the Bureau at the age of twenty two, based on the sole reason that he is one of the most brilliant men to roam this earth."

She stood in front of him. "So don't worry Father, he may _be_ an FBI agent, yet he is anything but one."

Walking away from him, she pulled the restroom door open.

"You could do better, Lou," her father said after her.

She didn't turn around as she was shouting over her shoulder.

"At least it's better than a U.S. Ambassador."

[ + ]

Caroline Cordelia Chandler had been Lou's best friend for twenty six years. She had known the professor better than anyone else. Since the moment she met her, Caroline knew Lou was one of the smartest people she'd have the pleasure of knowing. In the second grade, Elena had been reading _The Hobbit,_ while everyone was going crazy over _Where The Wild Things Are._ In the fifth grade, Lou had corrected their history teacher on her inaccuracy over the events on what led up to World War I, citing several reputable resources, which caused the teacher to resign from her job two weeks after. But when her best friend had graduated high school within eight months of being there, Caroline had been a pro at realizing how special Lou was.

But that specialness didn't take away from their bond. They had both been the only child in their respective families, relying on each other as sisters, rather than best friends. Tall, beautiful, and athletic Caroline kept the bullies away from Elena, and short, sweet, and brilliant Lou always helped Linnie cheat on her math tests. They both loved chocolate, and pink, and sleepovers that had spooky ghost stories (Lou always managed to scare the crap out of her). Caroline bought her sister her first bat, and Elena had given her sibling her first Jordan's. Lou went to every volleyball game. Caroline went to every science fair. Lou helped with essays. Caroline helped with her confidence. She visited Lou at Stanford. She visited Linnie at Cornell. The two girls were the oddest pair of best friends, but it made complete sense for Linnie and Lou.

Which is why she was so hurt that Elena hadn't called to say she was okay.

Caroline had taken a deep breath, allowing herself to calm down as she walked to this new location. It was her favourite day, and it was going to remain her favourite as her heels clicked off of the sidewalk. Pushing her luxurious red hair away from her face, the beautiful woman ignored the stares from men who weren't remotely worthy of her. She had places to be, and carved out two hours for her favourite part of her favourite day.

She looked at the place, happy to have found it as she walked through the door.

"Darling!" Caroline was greeted by a happy smile.

"Hey beautiful! It was a mission finding this place," the woman leaned in, placing a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Come, sit, and let me take care of you."

She smiled. "You always do."

Caroline looked at the mirror in front of her, feeling a pair of hands run through her long hair.

"How do you feel about a haircut?" Joyce Lombard asked her _favourite_ client on her _favourite_ day.

* * *

><p><em><strong>*Intense Criminal Minds music plays*<strong>_

_**Subscribe? Favourite? (I'm getting sick of that word).**_

_**Don't forget to leave a review telling me how much I'm an evil person.**_

_**xoxo**_** N.**

* * *

><p><em>Next Time: "The Ambassador had asked the FBI to place you in the Witness Protection Program..."<em>


	8. Huit

_**Hey Everyone!**_

_**OMG 89 FOLLOWERS? YOU GUYS ARE TOO NICE!**_

_**To those who favourited me (all 48 of you), I love you all.**_

_**Special I-Must-Send-Cupcakes-Filled-With-Love-Thank-Yous go to **ShadowPheonix34, CalamityBangs, Sue1313, Rivermoon1970, Lil'Soleil _(Hello, my new friend!), _HaruHaruxLove _(OOOH! A NEW FACE!), _fishtrek, **and **HPmia. **You all bring my joy as my flu worsens (so forgive me if there are any mistakes; Blue's out of the country!)**_

_**Just to give you all a head's up, the next few weeks, there will most likely be a decline in posting chapters. I haven't abandoned you guys, it's just I have three essays and two tests and five exams to study for, which The Tin Man's Lament is a VERY BIG distraction. I promise to update at least twice a week (because knowing me, I will definitely keep writing), so don't think I've forgotten about you all.**_

_**Enjoy!**_

_**P.S. Nothing that is Criminal Minds is mine.**_

* * *

><p>"He's been in there for a long time."<p>

Derek had been nervous, along with the rest of the team as they watched a man none of them knew speak to the team's leader. Hotch had his game face on as the man had the attitude of a person in charge. The profilers were at a loss and a disadvantage; each member had just been asked to work overtime in getting the unsub at all cost. JJ and Kate had been at been back at Lombard's home, trying to see if there were any more leads. While they all were going to work overtime anyhow, they couldn't understand the need for the case to be high-profiler. It wasn't as if there was a royal or diplomat in danger, and there was no threat to the entire population.

"Does anyone know who that is?" Derek looked to his team.

Rossi shook, but Spencer had mentioned his theory.

"I think it's Elena's father," the genius confessed.

Rossi looked at the Boy Wonder beside him. "What makes you so sure?"

"She had mentioned her father was a diplomat."

"You would be correct." The professor chose that moment to walk into the pit with a burger in her hand. Spencer had watched as she sat beside him, chewing on the article of food in her hand.

"Are you hiding from him?"

"I'm actually attempting to be a defiant child in front of my father in order to antagonize him so much, he'd leave." Lou smiled, taking another bite out of her McDonald's sandwich. Dave looked at Morgan, who both figured out the strained relationship between father and daughter.

Rossi turned his attention to the young woman. "How could your dad hold this much power?"

She swallowed, clearing her mouth. "He went to the same high school as the Director of the FBI. They've been best friends ever since."

"The Director would never release such sensitive information, even to a friend," Rossi had insinuated.

Lou sighed. She knew they would find out eventually.

"But he would release it to the United States Ambassador-at-Large for Counterterrorism."

"Shit," had come out of the mouth of Derek Morgan, just after the other "shit" was surprisingly uttered from Reid. Rossi had been startled by not only his coworkers' language, but also at Lou's words. She had been down playing her importance. Which led Dave to believe that Lou hid who her father was from the world not out of shame, but out of an underlying abhorrence. She hated how revered her father was. His job was likely the shift in their relationship. He knew the two had a strong bond (evident as the Ambassador was in a small Richmond police station for a reason), yet had been riddled with pain by the choice he made in picking his career. Before Dave could comment, Hotchner had opened the office door, allowing the gentleman walk through the threshold first.

"Ambassador Richardson," he said, directing him towards the team. "These are Agents Rossi and Morgan, and Doctor Reid."

"And also my daughter, who believes in putting garbage into her body."

"It's working," she whispered behind her Junior Chicken, Reid finding her words funny.

"Professor." Hotch had called her, and for that it made Lou smile. Ever since she had asked him to call her by her nickname, he had followed on her wishes. Up until her father had made an appearance, which she was back to being '_Professor_'. She knew, that Agent Hotchner knew, her father had seen her profession as subsidiary. Hotch didn't, and for that Lou was going to give him the largest hug she could muster. Or possibly give her thanks by pleasing his son (Lou had been _awesome_ with kids).

"Yes, Agent Hotchner?"

"The Ambassador-" _He didn't even call him my father. I am going to shower his son in novels._ "-has asked the FBI to place you in the Witness Protection Program as a temporary precaution-" _I take it back,_ "-and while I would usually agree, you have been essential in finding out who the unsub is, and we would require your expertise further in the case. You were asked to consult before the unsub had made it personal, and I'd like to still keep you on the case for your proficiency." Spencer could feel the soft, but excited bounce that Lou was currently creating as she sat on the table.

"Is that necessary?" Charles questioned, clearly irritated.

Hotch wasn't budging. "Professor Richardson has been invaluable to my team. I have never seen such brilliance and thoroughness pertaining to a case. If she were a part of the BAU, she would supersede every member with flying colours."

_James and the Giant Peach, Charlotte's Web, The Golden Compass… would Little Hotch like my copy of Where the Red Fern Grows?_

"It'd be my honour." Lou knew there was more cheek into that sentence, but she had no intent on retracting her statement.

Hotch looked at Dave, while Morgan wandered off, answering a phone call. "We need to lay the details for the profile."

"Just waiting on the ladies," the Italian said to his friend as they walked towards the boards

Spencer noticed the relationship between Lou and her father, Ambassador Richardson. Aside from the fact they hadn't acknowledged each other directly, Lou had been leaning towards Spencer in order to find some sort of comfort. He watched as Ambassador Richardson eyed both his daughter and the genius himself. He felt like he should have shied away from the glare, but Spencer kept his position rooted.

"_Doctor _Reid," her father extended his hand, to which Spencer stood up, accepting his handshake.

"Ambassador."

"Lou tells me you have a Ph.D."

"_Four_, actually," Spencer confessed, causing Lou's head to shoot up in surprise.

"Engineering, Mathematics, Chemistry, and more recently Philosophy."

"Impressive," the Ambassador said, only his tone wasn't impressed. "With a résumé like that, what made you want to become an FBI agent?"

"To make a difference," Reid said simply.

"Was that the only path to choose?"

His blood had been boiling. Ellie's father had been a specific type of asshole. Now he understood why Lou didn't have a good relationship with him. She cut her father out for her benefit. Although it must have been painful to do, it was what she had to do in order to fully live her life. If this man wasn't impressed by his profession, he had no idea what _Ambassador Richardson_ thought of his daughter's line of work.

"Spencer, I think I need help with something… _over there._" Lou had grabbed his hand again, pulling him off the desk and _away_ from her father. She had been pulling him through the hallways until they ended up back in the interview room Lou had called Garcia in. She practically threw Spencer in before shutting the door herself, leaning against it and sliding down the wood. She put her head in her hands, her words muffled.

"Is it possible to die from embarrassment?"

"An arrhythmia caused by the elevated pressure in the blood stream from loss of dignity can lead to a heart attack."

She looked at him, startled. "So it _is_ possible?"

Spencer chuckled, leaning down to grab her hands as he pulled her up from her spot.

"It was my poor attempt at cheering you up."

"Oh," she comprehended Spencer was joking. "That would have been funny, had I not been distracted by my father."

She sat on the table as Reid leaned against the wall, both of the individuals taking a moment to relax. "I understand why you were reluctant to speak about him."

Elena sighed, crossing her arms. "I'm sorry about him. He's a very powerful man, and the worst part is that he knows it. He always manages to be destructive in his path. I… just wanted to keep you away from him. From everyone."

"I'm sure he's not all bad," Spencer had moved closer to her.

The bittersweet smile was on Lou's face. "I like to think so."

Looking at the expression on Ellie's face made Spencer want to do something nice for her, just so she could stop being so sad. Spencer didn't have a great relationship with his father either, but they had been civil towards one another these days. He couldn't understand what she was going through. He thought he could comfort her, but he didn't know how. Until he remembered Garcia's phone call from a few short hours ago.

_Penelope's idea for Halloween. It could work._

"What are you doing in five days?"

"Um," Elena was caught off-guard. "On Halloween? Nothing's set in stone. Why do you ask?"

"Penelope had mentioned something about a shadow cast play for a movie called _The Rocky Horror Picture Show_-"

"They're bringing it back?!" Spencer could see how much of a good idea it was, seeing how Lou's face light up brighter than a Christmas tree in Manhattan. He'd remember to thank Garcia, because apparently, going to whatever this show was happened to be a _fantastic_ idea.

"For one night only," the doctor told the professor. "I haven't seen the movie-"

"_Oh. My. God!_" Lou stood up faster than Spencer could see. "One of the greatest cinematic masterpieces of our time and you've never seen it?"

"Well, no, that's why I'm asking if you'd like to come with me."

Lou looked at him, her mouth attempting to catch flies, as she realized what he had meant. Spencer had been asking her out on a date, something that only happened to her only _once_, and that had been one of the worst experiences in her life. While it hadn't left her discouraged, it still wasn't common for Lou to spend an evening in the company of a gentleman. She was a little hesitant however, even though the idea of spending her favourite holiday watching her favourite movie in her favourite way with her favourite doctor-

_Spencer is not _my_ doctor_, Elena thought to herself.

"So…" Lou had trailed. "Like a… date?"

"Oh, no- uh, nothing- nothing of the sort," Spencer had been fumbling with his words, his cheekbones turning flush. "But it- it would be an evening with me- and you, and a… part movie, part play, and-"

"Spencer," Lou said, hiding the fact that she was a bit sad about it being "not" a date. "I would like nothing more to spend my favourite holiday with you."

Reid had taken a deep breath out of relief, to which Lou laughed at.

"Halloween is your preferred choice?" He asked, knowing the answer already.

"Of course. Well, if it wasn't for my birthday, Halloween would be my favourite day in general."

Lou suddenly had a moment where her mind went into overdrive. Something her subconscious was trying to tell her, as her brain had figured something out before her it could be sent into conscious thought. It was something Elena had just said. "_Halloween would be my favourite day in general_." What was it about this sentence that triggered her to go off into her mansion? She had run through all the rooms in the big Manor, trying to piece together what had been going on.

_Favourite day._

_Favourite day._

_Favourite._

"Elena?" She could hear Spencer's concerned voice, but she had to ignore him. "Ellie?" She was onto something. Where was this memory? It wasn't in the kitchen, where her mother was making sugar cookies. It wasn't in the library, where her grandmother had been sitting in the armchair. She skipped her father's office, certain the memory hadn't been there. Lou finally realized that it must have been in the last room in the long hallway upstairs, where it was deemed L-Squared's Fortress. It had been a big room filled with couches, and it was the room Lou and Linnie shared thousands of conversations with one another. She was looking for a specific one with a specific keyword.

"…_Dean Jensen is my favourite guy on the soccer team…_"

"…_Did you get my favourite icecream…"_

"…_I'm gonna so kick his ass, Lou. I'll even use my favourite bat…"_

"…_A day at the salon has to be my favourite_…"

Lou gasped, remember what Caroline had said to her earlier.

"_And on my favourite day, too._"

"Spencer," she cried out, turning to him as tears began to pool.

"What is it?" He was alarmed. Elena had shut down completely, and once she had pulled herself out of her catatonic state, she had been more traumatized. She had been scared out of her mind, on the border of hysterics.

"Caroline. She went to get a haircut today."

[ + ]

"Psycho bitch!"

Caroline had whipped a bottle of hairspray at Joyce, trying to get away from the woman. She couldn't fathom how this woman, who was supposed to be going under chemo therapy, was moving around as fast as she was. Caroline had an odd feeling about her hairstylist the second she had asked if Linnie wanted a haircut. It was odd, because Joyce had been informed countless of times to not cut the length of her hair. Caroline always had a temper, and when Joyce had grabbed the scissors after she had said no for the third time, the redhead when ballistic. She should have known something was wrong the second Joyce asked to reschedule her hair appointment to three days earlier that it was supposed to be. The change of location should have been another clue, but she was too distracted by the attack that happened to Lou.

"Come near me again and I will rip your face off!"

"There's nowhere for you to go," Joyce's voice had been threatening, something Caroline had never heard before. "Your phone is turned off. You can't call the police-"

"_Call the police?_" Linnie's voice reached a higher octave. "Fuck that! I'm not getting arrested for kicking your ass!"

She bent down, grabbing one of her stilettoes off of her foot. She pulled back, launching the shoe at the crazy woman. The other lady dodged it, but couldn't miss the second silver Louboutin flying through the air. Caroline had deadly aim, which is why she was phenomenal at volleyball. If the superstar could clear the ball over the entire court, keeping it in the lines by just an inch on purpose, then she could hit her now former hairstylist straight on the head.

The neck would have to do, as Caroline had jumped through the items in the abandoned building, trying to make outside. She had just been at the door when she felt her legs come together, bounded by something. Her momentum caused her to fly forward, straight into the glass door. Caroline couldn't register the pain, only the harsh sound of glass shattering against her skull as she fell to the ground.

She couldn't make out what Joyce was doing.

But she knew it involved a pair of scissors.

[ + ]

"There's no sign of her?"

"_Traffic cameras picked up her car thirty minutes ago, parking illegally I may add, but I lose her after that._"

Lou was at the beginning of a migraine. "I can count on Caroline to always be herself."

"_Don't worry, I'm tracking down her phone right now._"

Hotch, Morgan and Rossi had been startled by Spencer storming into the room. He told them at how Lou believed the unsub had been going after Ellie's best friend Caroline. The team members not only noticed the Ambassador's change in demeanor, but Spencer's as well. He was giving more than a hundred percent as Spencer called Garcia, asking her to track down Caroline's car, while the rest of the team had been making their way out of the police station, contacting JJ and Callahan about the rapidity of the case. Reid had only given his boss a glance, which was all Hotch needed to know that Spencer wasn't going anywhere. Not when Elena was so distraught.

She had shuffled back into the room, being the only one who was speaking to Garcia, as Reid stood in front of the maps while Lou's father had been oddly quiet, observing the two.

"Penelope, you won't be able to. Her father is a computer programmer. He's encrypted her phone better than Fort Knox."

"_Have a little faith there, Lucy. Like you said, I'm the Wonder God. I'll find her._"

_Lucy?_

_What is it with these people and their nicknames?_

Spencer turned to face her. "You know the unsub's background story more than anyone. You can help pinpoint the location."

Lou turned to face Spencer, nodding. "She grew up here, but moved around constantly, so that rules out childhood home."

"Do you know when she bought her first place?"

"I think eight, nine years ago? Somewhere in South Richmond."

Spencer had made a circle in the general area.

"Any mentions of a childhood playground? A forest? A bridge?"

Lou sat straighter in her seat, gathering the important memories. "She told me of a place she used to play pretend in where no one would catch her. She never mentioned if it was a building or not."

"Do you know where?" He asked.

Lou shook her head. "No, I'm so sorry."

"Garcia, look for any buildings that had been fluctuating through different owners."

"_Any buildings that have been abandoned on and off? Reid, you are getting better at your job. __There are five abandoned buildings, two condemned._"

After Reid pinpointed the three locations where the unsub could possibly be, he saw Elena doing her nervous habit. He couldn't stand watching Lou wring her hands together any longer. Spencer stood in front of her, tipping her chin so that he could look directly at her without her hiding away. "You know something, Elena. It's the smallest thing that to you, has no meaning. It's hiding somewhere."

"Where is it, Lou?" Her father's voice had come from behind Spencer's. Only this time, it didn't have the boastful tone it usually did. It was soothing, like so many of her memories. "Where is it in the Manor? The backyard? The shed? The basement?"

Spencer had no idea what the Ambassador had meant by the '_Manor_', but it had apparently been working for Lou. He watched as she closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. She had known that it was up to her to find Caroline, and she was putting all she could into finding her best friend. Spencer saw her hands reach out instinctively, and he knew it was Ellie asking for his help. He took his hands in hers, automatically tapping on her palms.

He didn't care for the Ambassador's peering eyes.

Ellie needed him.

_One, two, three._

_One, two, three._

_One._

_Two._

_Three._

"By the water," Lou burst out. "She said it was by the water."

Spencer looked at his map. Two of them were close to the river.

"_Oh! I got it!_" Penelope shouted through the phone. "_I'm in her phone!_"

"Did you find her?" The Ambassador asked.

"_I have no idea who that is, but no, I'm still locked out. Password protected._"

"Try Ozzie." Charles had offered.

Lou looked at her father. "Fredrick's daughter wouldn't put her childhood _dog_ as a password."

Her father huffed in frustration. "Caroline is sentimental, she'd use a password that means something to her."

"_Ozzie, Lou, Fredrick, and Elena is a no-go_."

"Lucille?" Reid offered.

"_No cigar. Any other ideas?_"

"It has to be you, Lou." Her father commented. "You guys are attached at the hip. You are each other's sidekick. Jiminy Cricket to Pinocchio."

_No, Dad. She's my Toto._

Lou smiled, realizing she already knew exactly what Caroline's password was.

"Dorothy."

Spencer and Charles both shared a look of confusion.

"_Fifty points to Gryffindor! She's at an abandoned building on Stonewall. I'm calling the team right now. We'll get her, Lou. You just hang on._"

"I'm not waiting around." Lou grabbed her jacket. "My best friend needs me."

"Elena-"

"Spencer, please do not tell me I can't. I've had a lifetime of that, and I've learned how to evade it."

"Take my car," Elena's head whipped around to her father, appalled he had been _offering_ to _help_. "Reinforced metal, bullet-proof glass, and James used to be NASCAR driver. You'd be protected."

Reid was already grabbing his jacket.

"Under any circumstances, you do not leave the car." He threatened. Lou hadn't liked his protectiveness.

"But-"

"Ellie." Spencer wasn't budging. "Promise me."

It was a heavy request, considering that she barely promised anything to anyone. Lou, out of all people, knew how powerful words could be, and a promise held so much more weight than the majority of other words. But she did anyways, because making a promise to Spencer didn't seem to be a hefty burden.

"Okay, I promise."

[ + ]

"…the scissors down_…_"

"…need to cut it. I need…"

"…want to do this, Joyce…"

"…back! Stay away!"

Caroline had been in and out of consciousness, unaware of her surroundings. She had known, however, that her hands had been bound to the armrests of the chair she was in previously occupying. She struggled to open her eyes, seeing through her slits as multiple people had been pointing guns at her. She was frightened, but it only increased when Caroline realized that the people in front of her, who wore vests that had 'FBI' written on it, had actually been pointing the gun at the individual behind her. The same individual who had a sharp object at her throat.

_Joyce. _

_My hair. _

_The fight_.

Linnie was going to throw up.

"Joyce," the man with the goatee had been approaching her slowly. "I know what happened to Jacob wasn't fair."

"He was supposed to open his eyes!" The woman screamed. "He wasn't supposed to take that many pills. He was supposed to _see_ me! He was always supposed to look at me!"

"Hurting other people isn't going to bring him back. You _know_ that. You know hurting all those men wasn't going to bring him back."

"I had to try!" Caroline could feel something dripping down her chest as Joyce pressed the scissors further into her skin. "I had to try to bring him back!"

"And it didn't work, just like what you'll do next won't work."

She could feel the scissors trembling against her.

"I just want him back. Rapunzel just wants her prince back."

"Give me the scissors, Joyce," Rossi had asked, watching as Morgan crept behind Lombard.

She sniffled, her resolve leaving her body as she shakily handed the man her scissors. As soon as she let go, Morgan had grabbed her arms, causing the woman to scream out in anger. Caroline had let herself relax, her chest heaving as she tried breathing as much air as she could. If Joyce had been firmer in her assault, Caroline wouldn't be breathing anymore. She was thanking all the entities out in the universe for letting her enjoy the rest of her life.

"My hair," she asked as a blonde woman and the man with the goatee had been untying her. "Did she cut my hair?"

They both had remained silent, which only added to her fear. When Caroline was free, she turned to face the mirror. She held back the cry of anguish when she realized half of her hair had been its normal length, reaching her hips, while the other half had been cut just underneath her shoulders. Caroline should have been devastated, but she was more frustrated that she had spent five years growing out her hair to what she always wanted, and that stupid psycho bitch had cut it.

"Caroline," a tall, white man had approached her. "There's someone waiting for you outside."

[ + ]

Lou had promised to remain in the car, like Spencer asked, as he ran off to help his team. But she hadn't promised, however, to keep the windows rolled up as the cold breeze entered the car. She had a lovely little chat with James, who had always snuck Turkish Delight to her when her father would be busy with his Ambassador duties. She had tried to pass the time, not allowing herself to be scared for Caroline's life. She didn't want to think about how she never said goodbye to her best friend. Lou put her head in her hands. She was a nervous wreck. She needed to know her sister was okay.

"Lou?!"

Her head shot up, realizing that the voice she heard was extremely familiar. She looked through the open window, seeing her best friend being assisted down the steps by Kate. Lou had flung the door open, not bothering to close it, as she ran straight to her best friend. Caroline had let go of Callahan, waiting for Lou to pummel into her. Elena had the decency to slow down before wrapping her arms around her best friend's waist. Linnie clung to her little munchkin, happy that she was holding Lou.

"I'm sorry," Elena had said, pulling away.

"Shut up, Lou. _I'm_ the one who's sorry for being an ass. I know you, and I should have known you forget simple things."

"I try not to."

"I know, Rocky. I'm not mad. Well, I am, but not at you."

Lou knew she was referring to her long (_short?_) hair. "Don't call me that, and what's wrong with it?"

"You smoked crack this morning, didn't you? What the fuck am I supposed to do with this?" Caroline commented, pointing to her head.

"You've said you always wanted to try a pixie cut." Lou offered.

Inspiration (or what Lou thought looked like inspiration) had crossed over Caroline's face. Her tall best friend grabbed Lou's head between her hands, her cheeks feeling the skin of Linnie's palm. She saw that Caroline was no longer upset by her hair, as her best friend had reminded her of one of her desires to chop off all her hair. Caroline was happy Lou had a mansion full of memories in between her ears. It came in handy from time-to-time. Her partner-in-crime was always there for her, no matter what.

"Elena Richardson, don't you ever change."

"I hadn't planned to," her squished cheeks altered the sound of her voice.

The EMTs had taken Caroline away from Lou, who gave her a quick hug before being taken to the hospital ("_Bye Rocky_." "_Bye Caroline_." "_Jesus Christ, Lou-" "Okay, fine. Bye Bullwinkle_."). Lou watched as Caroline's ambulance pulled away from the curb, headed to the nearest hospital.

Elena had felt a presence beside her, and when she turned to find Spencer beside her, she had been taken with heavy emotion. He had absolutely no idea how grateful Lou was, knowing that she could have lost her best friend; the only person who could read Lou like a book. She didn't care about how his entire team had been down the path staring at them as they looked at each other. She didn't care that another one of her father's cars had driven to the crime scene, most likely with the Ambassador in the back, looking at the two. She didn't care if the whole world was watching. Lou did what she wanted to do.

She grabbed Spencer's shoulders, pulling him down to her level. She tightened her arms around his neck, holding him close to her.

"Thank you, Spencer," she spoke softly.

When his arms wrapped around her back with just as much force, Lou let herself relax _finally_. She should have been realistic, and let go of him. But oddly, the rational part in her brain was telling her to cling to Spencer tighter. Her entire body wanted to hold him in her arms for as long as she could, because the feeling of her body against his had just felt… right. He smelled softly of sandalwood and old books, and Lou stopped herself from burrowing her nose into his skin. It had been addicting, holding him. She knew what would happened when she'd let go, so Lou held onto him tighter before the inevitable came.

He had been taken off guard when he felt the bony arms wrap around him, but the warmth that came from Ellie had left Spencer happy. Leaning down to tighten his arms around her small frame, Reid felt her under his palms and was marvelled at the fact his sense of touch could evoke such emotions out of him. He found it abnormal how he could ignore his germaphobia. The mysophobia he had suffered through his entire life had been completely forgotten the second his skin made contact with Elena's. He was comfortable with her. Or, more realistically, she _made_ him feel comfortable.

The two geniuses remained like that for another minute.

But to each, it was an eternity.

"You're welcome, Ellie."

* * *

><p><em><strong>Just to point out, I noticed, after re-watching CM, they don't mention Spencer's Masters in Philosophy. For the sake of the story, let's assume that Spencer already has his Ph.D., because he most likely does in the show (we just don't know it yet).<strong>_

_**Favourite? Follow? Review!**_

_**Until next time!**_

_**xoxo N.**_

* * *

><p><em>Next Time: "Am I being fired?"<em>


	9. Neuf

_**Hey Everyone!**_

_**Okay, so obviously I'm very horrible at writing essays because I had attempted to write one of them and then all of a sudden... Chapter Nine. It's very detrimental to my educational career, my procrastination benefits for you guys extremely! I hope you enjoy!**_

_**Also, I'm slightly freaking out over the 56 favourites and 106 followers because HOLY SHIT YOU GUYS LOVE MY STORY AND I KNOW THAT YOU MAY NOT ALL REVIEW I STILL LOVE EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU FOR LOVING THIS STORY!**_

_**Speaking of reviews, Special Special Thanks go to **Arminia, StarryNight0809, fisktrek (have you been one of my 'Guest's this whole time?!), HaruHaruxLove, Sue1313, HannahBananasxx, Rivermoon1970, Beinganotherone, CalamityBangs (someone was too lazy to sign in LOL), **and **Love-Fandom03 **for being the constant warmth in my cold, Canadian days.****  
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_**Enjoy!**_

_**P.S. This is where the disclaimer goes for Criminal Minds (because I don't own the show, sadly).**_

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><p>"<em>There is not a day that goes by where you don't shed years off me, darling.<em>"

Lou smirked at her mother's tone, heading to her office on the gloomy and very early morning. Her cellphone had been glued to her ear for hours as Antoinette Richardson had called her daughter (the first time she had called, she almost took Lou's ear off for not telling her sooner about the serial killer). It was two days after Joyce had been arrested, and the university had told her to take a day off. Unfortunately for Lou, Spencer had to go into work the previous day, being called in on a new case ("_What about Thai food for lunch? I know a great-" "Sorry, Ellie. Garcia just texted. High profile case in Oklahoma."_). While she had been saddened, she spent the day with her baby Rosie, a black '67 Impala, to pass the time. Now it was a new day, and Elena was ready to teach her classes, even though she would have enjoyed a couple of days off. But she missed her students greatly.

"I'm sorry, Mom." Lou had been honest in her answer. "But I had to help the FBI with the case, otherwise Caroline would-"

"_Oh, don't say it, Lou. You'll only upset me_."

Lou entered the building that held her office. "So you can understand why it was important."

She heard her mother's chuckle. "_Yes, dear, I do understand. Your father had mentioned something about one of those FBI agents you had been helping._"

Elena had slowed down her walk, the annoyed groan erupting from her.

"Mother-"

She heard the laugh. "_Oh sweet girl, don't you know you can tell me anything?_"

Lou was bitter in her reply. "He's a friend."

"_Who dotes on your every move_?"

"…I am going to strangle the Ambassador."

"_Don't blame him; he always sticks his nose where it doesn't belong. However, it doesn't take away from the fact you were attacked, and that upsets me more_."

"I'm fine," Lou took the stairs two at a time. "You don't have to worry about me."

"_A mother is always going to worry_." She knew her mother was touching her locket at the moment. She always had when she was sentimental.

"Well, not all mothers are running a multi-billion dollar pharmaceutical company. You have bigger things to worry about."

"_You are my biggest thing to worry about, Elena Lou. You always will be._"

Lou had to stop walking. She had to close her eyes in order to not get emotional. While her father had been difficult showing affection when Lou had gotten older, her mother had replaced it with more love. She could always count on her fantastic mother to always make her happy.

"I love you, Mama." She spoke into the receiver.

"_I love you too, darling. Now, go off and teach!_"

"Have fun in Hong-Kong."

Elena had ended the conversation with a smile, loving how supportive her mother was. Lou's grin was still on her face, but only until she had rounded the corner. Her happy mood had diminished the second she saw trolleys holding her books were scattered in the hallway in front of her office. There had been more than six carts filled, another five waiting to be filled. Her couches had been placed beside them. Confusion coursed through Lou has she walked into her office, noticing that there were men placing her books (thankfully they had been doing it gently) onto the said carts. The startled Lou had approached Liam McKennis, who had been standing in the middle of the room.

"Liam?" He turned, the look of pity on his face. "Am I moving offices…?"

The answer to the question hadn't needed to be answered, because she knew that she wasn't moving offices.

"Am I being fired?" She asked, failing at hiding her broken voice.

Liam pulled a piece of paper from his jacket pocket, his jaw tense.

"They're calling it an 'Infinite Leave of Absence'."

Lou's ears were ringing.

"The Board of Directors is citing that you are not mentally stable to teach, which is a load of bullshit."

She barely heard him.

"They had wanted to give you a formal meeting, but I thought it was best this way. Avoid them being cynical. The press got news that you had been the link to all of the killings…"

Her eyes looked at the almost empty room. It had no sentimental value for the past six months. Until she had enjoyed her time with Spencer in the confines of those four walls.

"…and they are trying to place the blame on you for riddling the name of the school."

She forgot how to breathe.

"They've said that it could be a year, maybe two before-"

"Stop," she whispered, waving her hands in an attempt to communicate. "Please, just… stop."

Lou had felt like she was having a heart attack. She had tried keeping the rhythm, but every time she attempted her three-tap pattern, she would screw it up. She tried breathing deeply, but all she could manage was the quick, shallow breaths passing through her lungs. She looked at her books, the only things that she could call her own in the university that _had_ been so kind to her. The Board had been welcoming the second she stepped onto campus (which Lou was ecstatic about, considering no one else wanted to hire an eager and brilliant professor). She knew that the university was now going to be known as the playground for a serial killer. But they didn't have to associate her with the killings. She was just the unfortunate soul caught in the crossfire.

"I wish I could do more to help, Lou." Liam had been grave in his response.

She wouldn't let the tears fall down her face as her eyes were glossy. "You've done more than needed. I just… My _students_."

"Frannie and I are taking over your classes," he said proudly. "We may not teach _Alice in Wonderland_ as good as you can, but we'll try our hardest."

She smirked. Francine had specialized in Shakespeare, and William had studied Chaucer for his entire career. Lou knew that those two teaching Children's Literature would be like trying to teach a dolphin to climb a tree.

"You'll do me proud."

Liam had given her a sad smile, resting his hand on her shoulder before leaving her in the now empty room. The desk that was once covered in pages had been stripped clean. She walked over, her footsteps not making any sound, as her fingers trailed over the wood. The second her hand made contact, she was taken back to her memories. ("_You, uh-" "Have a lot of books? I've been told." "I was referring to the bat."_). Lou instinctively turned to the corner of the room, where her bat had still remained beside the coat hanger. Smirking, she walked up to the weapon, picking up the aluminum bat. Lou felt like she should smash something with it, but thought better of the situation. She had to release her emotions somehow.

Placing the bat down, the phone was to her ear already, dialling a number she'd always remember.

"Pick up, pick up, pick up," Lou was muttering as she crossed her fingers.

"_Hello. This is Spencer Reid. Please leave a message._"

Discourage, Lou did exactly what the answering machine asked. "Hi Spencer. It's… Lou- uh, Elena. Listen, um, can you…"

She squeezed her eyes as the threat of new tears was catching on.

"…Can you call me back, please?" She quickly said, emotion deep into her tone. Lou looked at the screen in her hand. She didn't want to tell her mother what had happened, after she had just called her. Caroline had been with her parents, who were worried sick about her. Spencer was, apparently, unreachable. She didn't know what possessed her to call her father, but she had hoped he was still in Virginia, or at least near Virginia (Charles had a private jet, as well as a helicopter if needed). She just wanted to speak to someone face-to-face, to be able to tell them everything first hand, where she could physically look at them. She needed to have contact, and if that meant spending an hour in front of her father laughing at her for losing her job, she'd take it.

He answered on the second ring.

"_Lou?_" Even Charles was confused. "_Is everything alright?_"

"You're not busy, are you?"

"_Just had a conference call._"

"Are you still in Richmond?" Her fingers were crossed again.

"_I'm at the Embassy in Germany._"

Lou let the tears fall.

"_Lou?_"

"It's nothing."

The way she had said it, however, made it everything. She knew better than to assume her father wouldn't know something was wrong.

"_What happened_?"

She let loose an exasperated sigh. "The university thinks I'm mentally unstable to work because of… you know."

There had been a large pause before her father answered. "_They suspended you?_"

"'Infinite Leave of Absence' is what they're calling it," she said, not caring that if she sniffled, her father would know she was crying.

"And now," her tone had been getting higher with the sadness creeping in. More tears fell down her face. "Now I'm standing in this empty office with no job and two thousand eight hundred sixty five books sitting outside the room and I have nowhere to put them on my bike-"

"_Lou._" Her father's voice was stern, to which Lou had stopped, taking a deep breath.

"It's not fair!" Elena shouted.

"_I know it's not. But crying over it isn't going to change anything._"

She kicked the table, her Chuck Taylors leaving a white mark on the wood. "Can't you just let me be emotional for five seconds?!"

"_No, because that would make you think irrationally._"

Lou huffed in frustration. "I hate it when you're right."

Her father had taken a moment to respond, to which he ignored Lou's previous statement. "_Stay at the university._"

She pulled the phone away from her ear, not understanding what her father said. "You've lost me."

"_For another hour. Stay at the university. I'm having men come to pick up your books._"

Lou was going to punch herself for crying _yet again_. Had her father really said that?

"What-"

"_Then you are going to go home, eat your chocolate bars, and watch that show with the two brothers and the car and that angel you love. Then you can figure out the rest._" She smiled at his words, not believing her ears. "_You'll find a job, Lou-bear. You're my daughter, after all_."

Lou must have thought she was producing rivers with the amount of crying she was doing. Her father hadn't been this sweet to her in such a long time. It was a release to her, knowing that he may not have supported her choices for a career, but he was there when she needed him. He may not show it as often as she'd like, but Lou knew her father would never give up on her, and always had faith in accomplishing what she wanted to do.

"Thanks, Dad." It had been over six years since Lou called him that.

She could have sworn she heard a gasp before she heard the dial tone. Lou looked at her phone, a grin shining through her tears as she looked at the device in the palm of her hand. She was _definitely _her father's daughter, as they never gave proper goodbyes on the phone. They both had been one step closer in getting back the relationship they used to have. She took one last look at the room, glancing at the empty walls. She had spent five years of her life commuting to this place she called home. It felt as if she were in a dream, not believing that this had to be her reality now. She was no longer Professor Elena Richardson. She was Doctor Elena Richardson, and to Lou, it wasn't the same. She _loved_ being called "Professor". She _loved _being known as a highly-esteemed educator. She _loved_ teaching, and Lou had no idea what to do besides doing what she loved.

_Although, I'm pretty sure Howard University has an opening in the English Department._

_And it is closer to my house…_

[ + ]

"_Hi Spencer. It's Lou- uh, Elena. Listen, um, can you- can you call me back, please_?"

He wished he could.

They had just arrived at the jet the second Spencer's phone started ringing. They had been originally stationed at Oklahoma, but when the team had figured out the unsub had his base of operations in Louisiana, they had loaded up back onto the jet. He felt bad not being able to go to lunch with Elena, but Spencer knew his work would always cause problems. Those types of cases, the one he was working at the moment, usually meant it was going to be a long one, and he was afraid he'd miss his Halloween non-date with her. He should have answered, but he also knew the entire team would be snooping. It wasn't that they didn't have any regard for his privacy, but Reid just knew that the team had been hoping for his happiness. He wasn't as clueless as his team members believed him to be.

He knew that the team thought there had been something going on between the professor and himself.

Spencer wasn't the type of person to predict the future, however. He had reminded them that they had been friends, new ones at that. There wasn't any romance "floating in the air", as Kate had put it, being reinforced by Jennifer and Rossi. Nor was there any "late night lovin'" that Penelope and Derek had teased him with when he was sitting as his desk. Hotch, out of all people, made a comment at the round table about how offended he was that Reid never held his hand, and that was when Spencer almost lost it. His six personal pimps had been going overboard with practically _shoving_ Spencer towards Elena.

Which is why he didn't answer the phone.

But he wished he could.

"Missed a call, Pretty Boy?" Morgan asked as Spencer shoved his phone in his pocket, waiting for the water to boil for his tea at the back of the plane. Spencer had wanted to be left alone so that he _could_ call Ellie, but his coworkers would never make anything easier for him.

"None of your business." Reid said, pouring the water into his mug.

"Whoa. Doctor Reid growing some backbone," he chuckled, leaning against the frame of the entrance as the jet was still waiting for JJ, who was running late. Spencer had stopped what he was doing, trying to find the right words to tell Morgan to not only back off, but to stay away from his relationship with Elena.

"Why is the entire team ganging up on me?" He wondered desperately. "She is just my _friend_."

"Hold up," Derek interrupted. "How did you know who I was talking about? I didn't even mention Little Lou."

"She's gonna _love_ that one," Reid mumbled to himself.

"What was that?"

Reid shook his head, watching JJ climb into the jet. "Morgan, I know you mean well. But I'd like it if you stopped."

Morgan understood. "Cut it with the teasing? You know we mean well, Reid."

"I do. But you are all insinuating something else."

"Where are you going with this, Spencer?" Morgan had rarely referred to Reid by his first name.

"She is just my friend."

"But you don't want her to be _just your friend_, now do you?"

The tips of Spencer's ears had redden at Derek's profile. He was caught.

"Shut up." He gave Derek a cold glance before he grabbed his mug, pushing past his friend. Morgan was laughing behind him, holding onto his own cup of coffee as they waited for the take-off. JJ, as well as the other team members, could see that there had been a very secret conversation going on between the two profilers. Morgan had been looking at Spencer, knowing much more than he led on. JJ's eyes trailed back to the genius, who had been unashamedly ignoring Morgan as he was reading through a copy of _Sir Gawan and The Green Knight_. He had purposely slurped his tea, annoying Morgan as the specialist in obsessive crimes had given Reid a levelled stare. Reid had hummed to himself, flipping through the book at his usual speed. The rest of the team hadn't heard any of their conversation, but they had a feeling they knew what the topic was about. Morgan, who decided to sit beside Reid on the couch, leaned over to whisper to Spencer.

"I'll tell Little Lou what you really want, and you'll see what happens," he threatened to the doctor.

Spencer leaned towards him with a threat of his own.

"I'll tell her you call her Little Lou, and you _won't_ want to see what happens."

[ + ]

Lou loved her home in Arlington. It was a one-and-a-half floor bungalow, with a white picket fence to go along with the tree in the front. The family living there before her had put in a swing on one of the branches, and Lou thought it had added to the character of the home. As her father's… _weird_ goonies had left her mountains of literary works in one of the empty rooms she had deemed as a library, she had no choice but to run out and pick up almost a dozen bookshelves (the goonies were very helpful with that part as well). Buying enough to line the entire room with shelves, the men constructed each bookshelf, delicately placing each book on the rows, being sorted out by publication date. Under the eye of the former professor, the men had finished in record time, leaving the home with full bellies (Lou ordered enough pizza to feed an army). She had now been home alone, pushing the beige arm chair that had been in her office into her new library. She managed to place it in the corner, taking a glance around the room.

She might have hated her father's title, but Lou couldn't deny it _definitely_ had its perks.

Another one of those perk of having "Richardson" as a last name was getting an interview with the Dean at Howard University. She had called the school, using the very few connections she had, in order to acquire a meeting with the Union, as well as their Board. But second she uttered her name, it was like the heavens opened up. ("_Professor Elena Richardson? We've been trying to contact you for some time! Dean Fleming has been asking if you'd like to make an appointment with us as soon as possible…_"). She knew that it was either her father's doing in getting the interview, or her new-found fame as the "young professor that assisted the FBI in bringing down a serial killer", which is what the Virginia news reporters were saying. Whatever the case, Lou was glad that she has a chance to find her footing again.

Now that the issue of her books was solved, and the possibility of another job had been taken care of, she had walked through the hallways, moving towards her kitchen. Looking at the television, it had been tempting to eat her Twix chocolate while watching one of her favourite televisions shows. _I still can't get over how Dad knew about Supernatural._ Lou looked around her inviting home, yet had felt very lonely in her place. She should get a pet. A dog? A cat? Otter was looking like a good option before her thoughts were disrupted by her phone going off.

"What the…"

She answered the phone call.

"Hello?"

"_Lucy, darling._" The drawl of Penelope Garcia had been on the other side of the line. "_What are you doing at this moment?_"

"Uh," Lou was trying to find the right words. "Standing in my kitchen?"

"_You live in Arlington, right? Okay, so considering at least an hour for your commute, and factoring in your speeding tickets-_"

"Hey!"

"_You'd most likely make it here in under forty minutes, so noon-ish sounds good?_"

Lou had been frustrated. "You should be arrested for all the stalking you do- wait, no, here? Where is _here_?"

"_Here. Quantico here_."

"…Can I have an explanation as to why I'm going to Quantico?"

She had a feeling Penelope was smiling. "_I want to have lunch with you, silly._"

Lou had been taken off guard. People didn't usually call Lou for lunch dates (save for Caroline who had been doing it for her entire life). In reality, Lou didn't have any friends. She had Caroline, and her mother. Spencer had been on a whole other level that she couldn't comprehend, and _friend _wasn't the right term (even though she told everyone that he was her friend). Her old coworkers had been great people to chat with, but none of them had made an initiative to accept Lou's offer for coffee. It had been hard for Lou to deal with that rejection. Ever since she had been asking other kids to come to her birthday parties, or sleepovers, or pool days, none of them would show up. Caroline had other good friends she saw often, but Lou? Lou only had Caroline. So when Penelope had asked to go for lunch, it was something Lou never expected.

Because making new friends never happened to her.

"Oh! Oh, that's… Okay, hold on." She dropped her phone, bolting to her bedroom as she was frantically running around, changing back into a pair of black jeans, a _Doctor Who_ shirt, and her mother's old red leather jacket before slipping on a black pair of black Converse high-tops (the pink would have clashed with the red). Lou ran back to her phone, realizing it had been a minute and forty three seconds. _Damn it, still haven't beat my record time_.

"Can you send me directions?"

"_What did you think I did when you told me to wait_?"

[ + ]

Elena hadn't said a word to the woman at the front desk, but apparently the lady knew exactly who she was. "Richardson," she called out the second Lou walked through the door, and Lou almost pointed to herself in disbelief. She walked up to the desk, receiving a visitor's badge and a "Garcia will be waiting for you upstairs" from the lovely, but brisk lady. Walking into the elevator, and being grateful she was the only one in the elevator, she pressed the number "6" before holding onto her satchel with nervous fingers. Lou had never done this before, going out to lunch with a _friend_. She smiled, realizing that now, in the past week, she could use four fingers to count her friends. While that would have been depressing and pitiful to some, to Elena, it had been a God send. That was more friends than she ever had in her entire lifetime. _If_ she counted Spencer as well.

The doors opened, and Lou had been awestruck. She saw through the glass windows the FBI agents milling about. It was amazing, watching all the people work diligently and efficiently.

"Lou!" The brunette woman turned to face a beacon of orange and black. Lou's jaw almost touched the ground as she realized that the person walking towards her must have been Penelope. She looked at the black cats accenting the white dress. The orange cardigan had been of the neon variety, as did the orange pumpkin barrette, and the black kitten heels with orange trim (Lou picked up on the puniness of it). The spider rings were on alternating fingers, and the black and orange jewellery had been bold and glossy. Make-up? Over-the-top extravagance. She should have known that the tech analyst was different based off of her attitude, but Lou had absolutely no idea how different Penelope Garcia was, especially in comparison to the rest of the team.

But Lou found that to be the tech's best quality.

"It's so good to finally meet you!" She had come to squish Lou in a big hug. Lou returned the hug as much as she could.

"It's nice to meet you, too."

"Let me take a look at you," Penelope said, keeping Lou at arm's length.

"Are you analyzing me?" Lou asked.

"Hush, minion!" Garcia had been stern, waving a flashing pink pen her way. "Turn."

Lou, not understanding why she had to turn, did anyways for Penelope's sake. When Elena had stopped, facing her new friend, the woman had a pleasant smile on her face.

"Have I passed inspection?" Lou was still caught off-guard at her demeanor. While she knew that Garcia had meant well, she still wasn't use to the way the woman acted. (But the thing was, Lou _could_ get used to it.)

"With flying colours." Garcia waved her hand, her other one being occupied with an iPad. "Come, I have to do some research on the case before we go for lunch. You get to enter the lair."

The lair, that she had mentioned, was actually her office. It had been covered in a sea of fun trinkets and a whole lot of pink (which made Lou happy), with several computer screens scattered… well, everywhere. Lou only had to turn her head a fraction to be shown a new screen. She was processing a lot of information, realizing that Garcia had been looking at truck stops and diners in Louisiana, but as well as Oklahoma and Mississippi. She would have continued searching, if Garcia wasn't clever enough to minimize all of her screens before she could continue. Lou looked at Penelope guiltily.

"Sorry."

Penelope winked with a smile, going back to her screens. "I wouldn't have minded, but it's an on-going case. Can't show you anything." The phone next to the orange and black being had begun ringing, and with a sly smile, she looked at Elena. "My headset is too far away, so I'm going to have to put this on speaker."

"My lips are sealed," Lou confirmed to Penelope.

She hit the speaker button with the butt end of her pen.

"What's tall, dark, and edible?"

"_If it's me, do I win a prize?_"

Lou had been mortified. It was Derek Morgan's voice coming from the speaker.

Garcia chuckled. "The prize is my bodacious body, my delicious caramel sundae."

Correction. _Now_ Lou had been mortified.

"_Then I would like my prize to cross-reference any shipping companies that freelance in the area, as well as any individuals who own their own trucks or companies that loan out their vehicles. The unsub is shown to not have the resources for cross-country shipping, and would rely on others._"

"I'll have Kevin look it over. Heading out to lunch, my love."

"_Garcia_," his tone had changed slightly. "_Before you go, you mind sending me Lou's number_?"

The two women looked to one another. "Why do you ask?" Penelope wondered.

"_Just trying to speed things up for the love life of the kid and Little Lou._"

..._Little?_

Elena's mouth was hanging wide at the sound of his voice. She retracted all her previous statements because this was the moment she had been absolutely horrified. Not only had there been _another _nickname that the BAU team had come up with, Derek had been speaking of Spencer and herself in a romantic way. While the thought wasn't… unpleasant, it had been shocking to know that these people were so concerned with her relationship with Spencer, and in such a context that it had been closer than they led on. She looked to Garcia, placing a hand on her shoulder. Penelope had received the message loud and clear from Lou, pointing to the button that would end the call. Lou had cleared her throat before speaking.

"Derek," Lou had been firm.

"_Lou?_" Morgan had asked, curious and startled.

"I appreciate your concern, but the next time you try meddling in other people's business, know that you might lose your dignity in the process. I hope it back fires just as bad as this one did." He had tried speaking again, but Lou cut him off as she was staring at Garcia who was on the verge of dying from laughter. "And yes, I do understand that me being five feet and four inches would classify me as somewhat vertically challenged, but if I ever hear you utter the words '_little_' and '_Lou_' in the same sentence, I will make sure that your perfectly sculpted eyebrows no longer remain on your forehead. Have a lovely day, _Morgan_."

She punched the button that ended the call, and Penelope whooped in laughter. "This… This is pure gold! I can't breathe…"

Lou couldn't help but chuckle along with her as Garcia grabbed her belongings, standing up from her chair.

"You are now my favourite person." Penelope had grabbed Lou's arm, weaving it through her own as they walked arm-in-arm through the FBI hallways. "No one has ever spoken to Derek like that and he is probably walking around with his tail between his finely toned legs. You are a messiah in your own right."

"Thanks, Penny," Lou said, to which Garcia gasped in delight.

"No problem, Lucy."

While the words that Penelope had said to her were very flattering, the feeling of linking arms with her new friend _Penny_ as they were walking out of the building together had been ten times better than any compliment. Not only did she gain a bit of confidence in herself, she also added another person she could call "friend", and to Lou, that had dulled the pain of losing her job significantly.

Because she had gained something that was worth more.

* * *

><p><em><strong>I promise more gooey SpencerLou goodness on the way!**_

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_**Follow?**_

_**Review?**_

_**xoxo N.**_

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><p><em>Next Time: <em>"_If you minded your own business, then I never would have met you. That's something you shouldn't feel sorry for._"


	10. Dix

**_Hey Everyone!_**

**_Okay, so I'm gonna need a paper bag because I'm hyperventilating because THERE ARE 125 OF YOU FOLLOWING ME? I POSTED THIS STORY NOT EVEN A MONTH AGO AND ALL OF YA'LL WANT TO READ MORE? OMG OMG OMG THIS IS THE MOST AMAZING THING IN THE WHOLE WORLD AND YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST. THERE IS NOT ENOUGH EMPHASIS IN TEXT TO DESCRIBE MY LOVE FOR EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU WHO HAS FOLLOWED/FAVOURITED. SO THANK YOU! BECAUSE EACH OF YOU DESERVE ALL THE COOKIES IN THE WORLD._**

**_Special-Special shoutouts to my reviewers! _**_Arminia__ (Thank you for your patience!), __LilGreenearth97 __(Penelope could cheer up anyone, am I right?), __fishtrek__ (Thanks darling! Good to know!), __Sue1313__ (I try to keep my stories as entertaining as I can, so let me know if I don't!), __Rivermoon1970__ (If I told you I'm SuperWhoLock would you freak?), __Julia__ (Thank you very much for taking the time to review in English! Your review made me extremely happy!), __Danni Evans__ (It'll take a while, but it'll be a fun ride), __Guest__ (Thank you!), __HaruHaruxLove__ (It's okay! Believe it or not, Lou getting fired was the best thing to happen to her. You'll see…), __CalamityBangs__ (Thanks Caly! LOL at least you sign your name, so I know it's you!), __SuperCuteTomomi __(OMG YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW HARD IT WAS TRYING TO INTRODUCE LOU WITHOUT SHOVING HER DOWN YOUR THROATS THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SAYING SOMETHING LIKE THAT I LOST SLEEP OVER THIS SHIT THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU), __Dalonega Noquisi__ (wait no longer my friend!), __fluffyramenlover__ (thank you, my fellow Ramen lover), __**and **__Lil'Soleil__ (thank you for liking my characters! I'm glad you picked up on Lou's father being a misunderstood character. Let's me know I'm doing my job right :D),**you guys are seriously awesome, and I eagerly wait for your input again!**_

_**BTW, if anyone wants to be tumblr buddies with me, my tumblr is thesongsweforgottoplay. Send me a message so I know who you are!**_

_**Onwards my fellow fanficers!**_

_**Enjoy!**_

_**P.S. I don't own Criminal Minds.**_

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><p>Hotchner had arrived to the scene with Kate and Reid, looking at the new victim. Bounded, gagged, and locked in the trunk of their own car, just like the six other victims. While the scene was unfortunately familiar to the team, Aaron had observed something different in the way the youngest member had been going about in his mannerisms. Hotch had noticed Reid being constantly focused on his phone. While his input into the case hadn't deteriorated in the slightest, the team leader remarked that the doctor had either been touching his phone, or keeping it in his hand from time to time. It had been this continuous routine of work, check, pout, repeat. He had watched closely as the minutes ticked by, Spencer would get more and more anxious. He had even tried to make an escape from the team for a moment before Morgan's peering eyes and wolfish grin caused the doctor to ignore his phone for that moment. Aaron had an inkling that Spencer was itching to call a certain professor in order to relieve the cause of 'work, check, pout, repeat'.<p>

"Reid," he called out as they were standing in the newest crime scene. The genius walked towards his boss, curious as to what Hotch was going to ask.

"Is there a personal matter you have to take care of?"

Spencer knew what he was insinuating, but he also knew that he had to be professional. They had been working the case, and all the victims deserved his full focus. "Nothing that can't wait."

Hotch didn't believe him. "Take five minutes," he encouraged to Reid. "It won't delay the team."

He took advantage of Aaron's niceness as he scampered away from Callahan and Hotchner, pulling out his phone. He had dialed Elena's phone number quickly, listening to the ring tone. Spencer would most likely deny it, but his foot had been tapping erratically as he was waiting for the other line to answer the call.

"_Spencer!_" Lou said cheerfully.

His smile was automatic at the sound of her voice. "Ellie."

"_How's the case going? Penny says you're in Louisiana._"

Reid had found it odd that Lou referred to Garcia in that way. "She's Penny now?"

"_Lucy and Penny are the dream team, according to her_," Lou had been obviously with Garcia lately, possibly with her at that moment. "_You didn't answer my question_."

"It's…" Spencer had tried finding the appropriate words. "…going."

"_Ah, Mum's the word. That's the life of an FBI agent._"

"Tell me about your day," he prompted, pacing as he listened to Elena speak. "You had wanted me to call."

"_I guess now's my opportunity, since Penny's using the facilities_." Reid heard Lou's tone change considerably, listening to the sadness creep into her voice. "_I had gone into work today, like any other day… Only, I had found all my books outside my office. But the reason they were taken out was that…_"

"Elena?" He wasn't liking how she trailed off reluctantly.

"..._I've been put on indefinite leave-_"

"They let you _go_?"

Spencer's _heart _stopped beating for a moment. He hadn't taken into account that the repercussions of Elena being the focus of the unsub would ultimately affect her career. He had known of cases where victims would lose their jobs, homes, even family members after an attack, but he didn't realize that _Ellie_ would be one of those statistics. Elena was invaluable; she had a brilliant mind, and a positive attitude, and such _strength_ that made her special. So why did the University of Richmond think she was expendable?

"_Yes, I believe I have been fired. Maybe I should stop calling it a leave of absence." _He heard the deep intake of air.

"But… That's wrong."

"_I never said it was right, Spencer._"

"You love teaching, and they know that. How could they do this?"

"_They must have felt they needed someone to blame."  
><em>

"You, out of all people? Chosen to be a scapegoat-"

"_Spencer,_" her tone sounded as if it was on the border of tears. "_Please stop talking about my lack of employment. The thought is so unbearable, I…_"

He rushed out an apology, hating the fact that she was so distraught by losing her job. The part he hated the most, however, was that he was several states over, not being able to hold her hand (or hug her, which is what Spencer wanted most). She needed comfort, and he wasn't there to give it to her. He didn't understand the aching feeling in his stomach, until he made the connection between Ellie and Maeve; both times when they needed him, he wasn't able to be there for them. The thought upset him and angered him even more. He never had an opportunity to be there for the women he cared for.

"I'm sorry, Ellie."

"_It's okay._" He heard the sniffles on the other line, to which each sound broke his _heart_, "_I know how easy it is to get fixated on topics._"

"What will you do now?"

He felt like she was smiling at his words through her tears. "_You don't have to worry about me. Sooner or later, I'll be Professor Richardson again_."

"So…" Spencer had tried to think of something to cheer her up. "It's Doctor Richardson as of this moment?"

He heard her giggle. "_No. I'm just The Doctor._"

Reid's eyebrows almost reached his hairline.

Was she…?

"Only those who are true fans can call themselves as such."

"_I'm wearing a TARDIS shirt, and there's Daleks on my socks. Would that count?_"

"Reid!" He turned to face Kate (and forgetting momentarily how _awesome_ Ellie truly was), as she waved him over towards the small group a few yards away. He knew that his little escape of the phone call had been over. He nodded to Callahan, mouthing '_one minute_' to her, before going back to Elena on the phone.

"Sorry, I've got to go."

"_I know,_" the dejected voice said. "_I heard. Tell Kate I said 'Hello'._"

"I will." He promised. "Oh, Ellie?"

"_Yes?_"

Spencer had been firm in his reply. "I'm sorry to what happened to you."

"_Jobs come and go, Spencer. I'll find another one_."

"No," he had corrected himself. "I'm sorry that I involved you in the case. You would have kept your job if I had minded my own business."

He didn't hear a response, and had thought that Elena hung up, until he heard her soft voice.

"_If you minded your own business, then I never would have met you. That's something you shouldn't feel sorry for._"

The entire day of nervously waiting to talk to Ellie had been worth every second, considering the feeling that Spencer had with that sentence. He put the phone back into his pocket, feeling significantly lighter than he had before. She hadn't said it in so many words, but Elena was happy to have met him. Which meant she shared the same feelings he had. Which meant that she cared about him. The beaming grin was on his face as he carried her words in his mind, walking back to the crime scene, and towards Callahan. While he was still livid at the fact that Lou was now jobless, he allowed himself to be happy for that moment.

"Elena says 'Hello'." He told Kate, to which she smiled.

"Next time you call her, tell her to look up videos of ferrets stealing objects."

Reid looked at Kate oddly, to which she shrugged in response. She had a quick remark on her tongue about how ferrets are notorious thieves, until she noticed Spencer's demeanour. His eyes were a bit downcast, with his smile fading to a frown. She noticed that his shoulders had been slouched, one of his hands in his pockets. He had been anxious to get to his phone call all day, and yet after he talked to Elena on the phone, Spencer had been saddened. He hadn't received good news.

"What's wrong?"

Reid looked at her, half-startled, half-frustrated at himself that he couldn't mask his emotions well. He shook his head, looking at the victim. The team would eventually figure out something was wrong, which was one of the downsides of working with a bunch of profilers.

"Elena lost her job."

Shock was etched onto Kate's face. "Are you kidding me?"

"No." He leaned down to inspect the body in order to hide the anger on his face. "They most likely dismissed her because of her connection with the murders."

Spencer hadn't expected Kate's response to be so vulgar.

"Fucking bastards," she said, walking around the crime scene. "They just loss a _huge_ asset to the school."

The doctor smiled, knowing not only was Kate right, but he wasn't the only person to care about her.

[ + ]

Lou had put her cellphone down after ending her conversation with Spencer. While it felt fantastic to talk to Spencer, reminding herself that she was jobless left more tears in her eyes as she struggled to hold back her emotions. She wiped her tears away quickly, noticing Penelope had been exiting the restroom at that moment. Clearing her throat and sitting up straighter, Lou went back to sipping her water, looking at the ads scattered on the walls of the restaurant. Penny had come back to the table with a cheerful expression before noticing Lou's grim one.

_Damn it. I need to work on my facial expressions_.

"What is it?" The tech analyst asked the former professor as she sat across from her new friend. "Did you get a hold of Spencer?"

"Oh, yes, I did." Lou kept her hands on her lap as they wrung together, away from Penelope's line of sight. "It's nothing really."

"It doesn't look like nothing, Lucy." Penny reached over, placing a comforting hand on Lou's forearm. "Is it something to do with your family?"

"No, my family is fine. It's…"

The tears came forth again, and Garcia whipped out a tissue faster than Lou could register.

"We don't half to talk about it if you don't want to-" Penelope had started before she saw Lou shake her head, wiping her tears away.

"You'll figure it out anyway." The brunette took a deep breath, calming herself. "The university decided that… I'm not fit to teach any longer."

"Oh, Lou," Penny's _heart_ had been aching for the woman beside her. "I'm so sorry. For what it's worth, they made a wrong decision."

Elena nodded. "Thank you. I'm devastated, but I'm not worried. It's for the best. My life has been the same for the past five years. It's time for a change."

"That's the spirit, _mon amie_!" Garcia placed a contagious smile on her face, to which Lou couldn't resist the happy grin. "You'll get a new job in no time."

The food that the ladies had ordered came at that moment (bacon burger for Lou, tofu burger for Penelope), which allowed Lou to take a moment to collect her thoughts. "Hopefully my interview with Howard University goes well. An old colleague of mine had mentioned an opening in the English department a few weeks ago when I ran into her. The position hadn't been filled in quite a long time, so it could be my silver lining."

Lou had attempted to take a bite out of her burger, until she noticed the sly grin on Penny's face.

"What is it?" she asked, not liking how sneaky Penny had been acting.

"Nothing," Penelope looked to tend to her burger, looking completely innocent. "It's just purely coincidental that you pick a university that happens to be less than ten minutes from Spencer's apartment. Must be the cosmos working their pretty little fingers to the bone, making sure you get the change that you want."

The foreign feeling of exhilaration and the common emotion of astonishment caused Lou to be caught off guard.

"Well, I-" Lou struggled to find the words. "I'll be applying to other universities."

Garcia had stared at her, one eyebrow arched. "We'll be having this conversation again in the near future, but only you'll be _desperately_ wanting to work at a place near the guy you have a crush on."

"I do not-" the genius started saying before Penelope had rolled her eyes, to which Lou changed tactics. "He couldn't possibly see me that way, Penny. We've only just met!"

Lou could almost hear Penny's '_are you fucking kidding me_?' from the confines of the tech's brain based off her facial expression.

"For someone who is supposed to be as brilliant as you say, you can completely miss the obvious."

Lou could only stare at the blonde, not understanding what she meant by 'obvious'. Penelope had seen the look of confusion on Lucy's face before placing her burger down, giving all her attention to the professor. She leaned over towards the oblivious woman, who'd been listening intently.

"If you hadn't noticed, Spencer doesn't like physical contact." That had made Lou even more confused. "But only because he's a complete germaphobe. Refuses to shake hands with anyone he's just met. So it would be very odd if, let's say, a certain germaphobic individual whom you've met a few days ago has happened to hold your hand on three _known_ occasions, and even more abnormal if he would willingly hug someone, without pulling away, or coming up with some clever excuse to avoid holding hands slash hugging a person."

If Penny's theory was right (Lou had an _inkling_ it was), that meant that she held hands with a germaphobe on four occasions, and hugging the said person who wasn't accustom to physical contact in such a way. But it confused Lou. Why hadn't Spencer said anything? She noticed that he made no notion to stray away from holding her hand (quite the opposite, in fact). When she had hugged him, he pulled her closer towards her. He held her tightly. He almost refused to let go. So why was it so? Why had Spencer gone against his nature?

It hit Lou then. Her inkling had been her instincts, telling her the truth.

Penelope watched the look of recognition cross Lucy's face.

"Looks like Captain Oblivious isn't so oblivious."

"But- he's- um, I'm- and-"

"Shut up and eat your burger, Lucy."

Lou's burger didn't look so appetizing at that moment.

"Wait," something had occurred to Lou to which she figured out. "How would you know that Spencer has held my hand on three occasions? Which, by the way you're wrong, he's held my hands four times. Well, the fourth was only in front of my father, the other three were in front of Spencer's team-"

Clarity was the main focus of the conversation, as Lou figured out how Penelope knew all these facts.

"You profilers love to gossip, don't you?"

Penny only responded with a wink, taking a bite out of her delicious tofu burger.

[ + ]

"We're looking for a white male in his late forties who freelances for a transporting company, often renting the vehicles." Hotch had started the profile, speaking to the members of the police department as they all were taking notes diligently. "He'll often frequent rest stops that have high traffic in order to blend in efficiently."

Morgan spoke next. "He'll seem approachable, yet you will notice he has a lack of intelligence by his mannerisms. But make no mistake, he is a high-functioning sociopath that is constantly searching for a weak link."

"Typically, sociopaths are cunning and manipulative, relying on skilled lies and apathy in order to get their means." Spencer was in his element as he spoke to the officers. "While the unsub shares these traits, he also deviates from the norm as his above-average intelligence allows him to influence his victims by specific words or phrases that are not only truthful, but are a way to evoke being at ease around him."

"He'll seem empathetic, and helpful, often running to those in need in order to gain an onlooker's trust," JJ's voice had filled the room. "He will keep repeating these actions until he finds a victim that best suits his needs."

Rossi's turn was next. "He has a preference for redheaded women, as this could be a projection his own desires. Yet, he isn't picky when it comes to opportunistic victims. He's been keeping these women for two to three days before he kills them, so there should be a secondary location."

"Do we know where this location is?" A young officer asked, sitting a few feet away from the profilers.

Kate answered the question. "While the unsub has been travelling all over the states, the common intersecting point is Louisiana, which means he's local."

Hotch had wrapped up the profile. "If you find anyone fitting this description, please do not approach on your own. This unsub is considered dangerous and violent when provoked, so wait for back-up. Thank you."

The officers dispersed at that moment, allowing the team to look back at their work in order to try to find another clue. Reid, on the other hand, was still carrying the anger of Elena losing her job. It was completely unfair to attack a _victim_ of the events that a serial killer had caused. Not only as such, they had indirectly placed blame on the professor, and Ellie suffered through the repercussions of what was a political struggle. Spencer knew not to let it affect him (as the last case had been evidence that he needed to focus more than a hundred percent), but he was still caught off-guard at the audacity of the people on the university committee for being so demeaning to Professor Richardson.

"Earth to Reid," Kate pulled him out of his thoughts. Spencer realized the entire team was looking at him, waiting for his input.

"Sorry," he mumbled.

"Anything you want to share with the class, Spence?" He found it humourous that JJ would make a reference that required bringing up the image of an educational experience. He found it fitting for the situation at hand. He also noticed that they hadn't known what was going on, which meant Kate didn't say anything about Lou's current status of employment.

Reid looked to Callahan. "You didn't tell them?"

She shook her head, causing the rest of the members to be concerned.

The genius couldn't look anywhere else but the carpet. "The University of Richmond put Elena on indefinite leave."

Concern and outrage had been on the faces of the profilers.

"What?" Morgan said as JJ's "oh my God" was uttered. Rossi looked to Hotch, which both men shared identical looks of bewilderment. The whole team had been thrown off at Lou's current state of employment.

"Ellie couldn't say anything further," Reid could hardly contain his anger. "She was very upset, and wouldn't speak about it."

Derek had felt like absolute shit for teasing Spencer about his phone call with Lou. Although he hadn't known the significance of the phone call, he still felt terrible that he stuck his nose in other people's business. If he hadn't been teasing Spencer, the doctor would have been able to talk to his friend, comforting her when she needed it. Instead, he had been relentless in his mockery towards Reid, delaying what was not only a very important conversation, but what was evidently a much needed call for security. Morgan stood from his spot, making his way towards Reid. He has looked to his friend, seeing how Spencer was trying to keep his emotions in check. Derek didn't notice the rage that was building up within Reid until he had stood directly in front of him. Jaw clenched, hands in fists, and deep breaths, Morgan saw the key features on the doctor that he would see on himself when he had been angry.

"Reid, I'm sorry about teasing you earlier. It wasn't my place to make assumptions."

The doctor lost a bit of his fury as he allowed himself a small smirk.

"It wouldn't be a typical day if you didn't."

Morgan smirked, realizing that Reid would always be Reid, as he patted Spencer on the shoulder before taking a seat besides the doctor. JJ had watched the two interact, realizing that Spence had a longer day than the rest of the team. He seemed on edge the entire day, until he came back from the crime scene. Reid had looked frustrated the rest of the day, and now she knew the cause of his anger. She had liked Lou, more than she liked most people. If she had praised Lou in such a way, she had no idea the extent that Spencer thought of the other genius. Then again, based off of his emotions at the moment, she knew the full extent of how Spencer viewed Lou, especially with him being upset over losing her job.

Inspiration came to Jennifer at that moment.

"Hotch," JJ turned to her boss. "How long would it take to make someone an official FBI consultant?"

* * *

><p><em><strong>Follow? Favourite? Review?<strong>_

_**xoxo** **N.**_

* * *

><p><em>Next Time: "It's very nice to meet you, Henry."<em>


	11. Onze

_**Hey Everyone!**_

_**First thing's first: Yay for finishing one of my essays! (Now only two more to go plus studying for an exam... yay). As a treat to myself, I've decided that I'm going to treat you guys, the readers, to a new chapter! Shoutout to my 133 followers! (As well as my 86 homies who favourited me.)**_

_**Special thanks to my reviewers **RJNorth (welcome to the TTML family!), Beth - Geek Chick (Thank you for loving Lou!), Rivermoon1970 (Those two are one of my favourite duos and also an amazing brotp to me), Sue1313 (If you love the story now you'll love how it progresses... I'm legit bouncing in my seat!), sonnetStar (darling, you should no by now that no matter what path Lou chooses, she will always love being Professor Richardson. Keep that in mind! [Also, something will be a bit familiar to you in this chapter...]), CalamityBangs (doesn't JJ always have good ideas?), TazzieLuv13 (PANDAS ARE COMING [in the near future], YOU JUST HOLD ONTO YOUR SEAT BABY GIRL!), Guest (I love that little blond boy with all my heart; of course I'm going to include him into the story!), Dalonega Noquisi (Like they said, Penny and Lucy are the dream team. Don't worry; Spencer will have his moment to be there for the Doctor's companion [you see what I did there? hehehehehe]), **and **tlyxor1 (look no further, darling!). **Each one of you are special human beings who should receive awards for being so awesome.**  
><span>_

_**Again, my tumblr is: thesongsweforgottoplay. Feel free to creep!**_

_**So, here's your treat guys!**_

_**Enjoy!**_

_**P.S. I cannot call Criminal Minds my own (fuck you CBS... not literally though).**_

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><p>Lou was blue.<p>

Not literally blue, in the sense that her skin changed pigmentation. Lou had been glum for the past week. It was five days since she last saw Spencer, and when she spoken to him last (which was the previous day), they hadn't caught the unsub. She tried getting a hold of him the entire day, but it rung out to voicemail. Which most likely meant that Spencer was _not_ going to be able to spend Halloween with her. Lou was currently in her yard, putting her tombstones along the side of her lawn. She wasn't planning on decorating her yard, as her plans for the special holiday didn't require trick-or-treaters, but with the way her plans were headed, she was most likely spending the holiday dressing up as Morticia Addams, scaring the children away after giving them their candy. Even if she ended up not spending the night at her home, she still wanted to take pride in her favourite holiday.

"_All you people can't you see, can't you see…_"

The former professor had gone into her back pocket, pulling out her cellphone. Once Penny found out about Lou's obsession with the Backstreet Boys, she set a specific ringtone in order to identify when the other half of the dream team had been calling. Smiling at the fun picture Garcia had left on her cell as a caller ID, Lou answered the call.

"Hey Penelope."

"_Hello Lucy Lou._"

"Thanks for the Grinch reference. That's a new one."

"_Well I aim to please. How's the decorating going?_"

"Eh." Lou looked to her yard, enjoying her cobwebs and spiders and beings from beyond the grave. "Piece of cake."

"_With what you've described to me, I'm picturing a super spooky graveyard._"

"Complete with animatronic zombies that pop out in certain spots." Lou told Penelope proudly.

"_You're using technology? My word, you are nothing like Reid_."

The thought of the man who apparently had _feelings_ for her reminded Lou of inevitably missing the Rocky Horror Picture Show.

"Anything yet?" Elena asked, knowing that it was almost the sixteenth time asking that week.

"_Nothing on the home front, Lou. But I'm sure they'll be coming soon._"

Lou softly sighed. "It's almost six, Penny. The show starts two hours."

The brilliant woman could hear the hesitance in her friend's voice. "_Have faith. If anyone can pull off the impossible, it's them._"

"Okay," Lou allowed herself a bit of hope. "I'll keep my spirits up."

"_That's the spirit, ma chérie_."

Elena had thought of a brilliant idea at that moment. Since Spencer most likely wouldn't make their non-date (but Lou still had hope), and Caroline was still out of the country with her parents, she would hopefully spend Halloween with Penelope, if Wonder God wasn't doing anything, of course.

"Penny-" Lou was going to ask her plans for the night until she'd been cut off by the tech analyst.

"_If you were going to ask to come to Quantico to spend the night in the lair with me looking at these screens, then you better scurry your butt down here._"

Lucy's jaw had dropped.

"I'm officially scared of you."

"_It is Halloween, darling. Comes with the territory._"

[ + ]

8:35.

Lou couldn't help but be sad as she kept her eye on the clock. She had really wanted to spend the night throwing toast and toilet paper while shouting profanity at the Rocky Horror screen ("_What the fuck is a billboard doing in a cemetery?" "The man has no fucking neck!" _"_Buy an umbrella you cheap bitch!_"). Yet, spending the evening in the lair with the Queen herself had been a great substitute. They swapped horror stories, sharing memorable Halloweens, and eating the pieces of toffee that Garcia kept in her office. The two women bonded over being different, as Penny told her of the Black Queen days, to which Lou responded to her screamo/goth phase. Prompting the past to come to the present, Penelope searched up old school photos of Elena, causing the tech analyst to erupt in a fit of giggles as she looked at the gangly, dark-clad Elena Lucille Richardson with bug-eyed glasses at the age of fourteen.

The ladies were now standing in the kitchen area, sharing more memorable moments over a cup of tea. Garcia had been talking about her parents when she noticed Lou's eyes darting over the bullpen. Penelope tried to follow her line of sight, until she realized that Lou was looking for a specific desk. Her laugh pulled Elena out of her search. "What?" The former professor asked.

"You are absolutely hopeless."

The blonde waved the sheepish brunette to follow her (Lou realized that Penelope caught her red-handed at trying to find a certain individual's work station), making Lucy trail the tech analyst as she walked straight to Spencer's desk. Stopping in front of the cubicle, she pointed to the table.

"That's where our resident genius stays."

Lou examined Spencer's desk. It had been neat, as she would have expected from him. There were no personal items displayed on the desk, and no personal pictures of anyone, which indicated to Lou that he must not have a special person in his life (and also reinforcing the fact that Spencer indeed had a crush on Lou). She sat in his chair as Penny leaned against the divider. Lou didn't want to snoop, but with an encouraging nod from Penelope, the genius opened the drawers, noticing nothing but files.

Until she saw the film canisters.

"What the…" Lou picked up one of them, holding the black plastic object out to Penny, to which the techie laughed.

"He makes rockets out of them. Reid calls it 'Physics Magic'." She clarified.

Elena laughed, realizing what Spencer meant by 'Physics Magic'. _Water and an antacid tablet creating carbon dioxide which leads to the fast release of the gas that's built up._She found a new thing about Spencer: he was fond of magic tricks. Lou couldn't help but be captivated by this small detail. It let her know a bit more of Spencer's personality, and how he could find joy out of illusions.

She placed the canister back in its rightful place in Spencer's desk, not noticing the smile that was growing on Penelope's face. The bubbly blonde had watched as Lou unconsciously lingered over the items in Spencer's desk. Her fingers ran across the surface of the table, and the tech looked at Lou's absent-minded glaze in her eyes. She also noticed, however, the sadness that had been marring her face. Lou was _really _looking forward to seeing Spencer. It was unusual for the team to be gone for as long as they had been, and it was just bad luck that Elena wouldn't get to go on her first "non" date with Spencer.

"This doesn't happen often," Penelope pulled Lou out of her thoughts.

"I'm sorry?" Lou asked, confused at what her friend was talking about.

"The team, leaving for so long." She clarified. "They're usually gone for two to three days at a time. They're mostly here for a good chunk of the week, so don't think that this is a regular occurrence."

Lou nodded, the sad look still on her face.

Penelope was going to come up with another way to cheer Lucy up, until she noticed a mess of blond hair bouncing around the other side of the glass doors. Penny lit up instantly, watching as Henry and Will entered the bullpen. Lou noticed the change in Penelope's behaviour, following where she was looking. She watched as the little boy (who was dressed up as Spiderman) entered the room, locking eyes with her friend, and running full speed towards the two.

"Penelope!" The boy cried, arms stretched out towards the tech analyst. Lou would have assumed that it was Garcia's child if she hadn't mentioned that Penny didn't have any children.

"My favourite godson!" Penny said as she scooped up the child, crushing him in a big hug before putting him down. Lou smiled at the two.

"Are you saving the city tonight, Spiderman?" Penny asked.

The boy nodded. "Yup! But Daddy says only before bedtime."

"Smart dad." Penny said, leaning to give Will a hug. "Why aren't you two having fun trick-or-treating?"

Will ruffled his son's hair. "Henry was missing his Mama, so I thought seeing his godmother would help. Unfortunately, I haven't gotten a hold of my wife. Was wondering if you could help with that."

Penelope shook her head. "Radio silence on my part. But nothing to worry about, I'd know if something dangerous would be going on. Give me a quick second, I'll see if I can contact the team."

As Garcia had wandered back to her office quickly, Henry stopped playing pretend when he realized there was a strange woman with pink hair sitting at his favourite profiler's desk. He walked up to her, to which Lou smiled warmly at the young child. "Who are you?" Henry asked naively. Lou couldn't help but find him funny as he sheepishly asked who the foreign being with really cool hair was.

"I'm Lou." She gave a small wave. "What's your name?"

He responded with a smile. "I'm Spiderman. Shh! It's a secret!"

Lou played along, nodding eagerly as she put a finger to her lips. "Okay. I won't tell _anyone_."

"Tell her your name, son." Will urged, smiling at the new woman.

"Henry." He cutely stuck his hand out as a greeting.

The woman grinned, clasping his hand with her own. "It's very nice to meet you, Henry."

"Why is your hair pink?" He asked curiously.

"I like pink," Lou said plainly. "So I wanted my hair pink."

He eagerly bounced in his spot. "Can I play with it?"

Elena hummed in laughter, being charmed by the sweet boy. "Why yes, of course."

Before Lou could comprehend what little Henry was doing, the boy climbed up into her lap, sitting across her thighs as his legs dangled off to the side. "Henry-" Will reached out instinctively, trying to grab his son off of the woman he had just met, feeling very rude to let his son invade the space of a complete stranger. Lou had noticed the man's hesitance with his son, to which she waved off the child's father in a friendly manner.

"It's okay." She adjusted Henry's position to make him more comfortable. "He's not the first child to want to play with my hair."

"Well since my son is sitting on your lap, it would be a good time to introduce myself." Will offered his hand. "William LaMontagne Junior. Will for short."

Lou accepted the handshake, realizing too late that her title was incorrect. "Professor Elena Richardson. Feel free to call me Lou."

"_Professor?_" Will asked, astonished. She had been very young to be considered a professor. "No offence, but you don't look like one."

She shrugged her shoulders, watching Henry weave his fingers through the pink hair. "Most people think I'm a college student half of the time, so there is absolutely no offence taken."

Suddenly, Lou had a wicked idea as she lifted her ankles up and down rapidly, causing Henry to bounce in her lap. He giggled with delight at the motion, turning his head to face his new friend after she stopped the motion. "Again!" Henry begged, and Elena obliged. His giggles filled the room, catching the attention of the few people that had been close by. Each one of them had smiles on their faces as Lou played with Henry.

(Penelope had been one of those people as she was standing by the elevator, excited for the people who were in the lift. The number at the top indicated it was on level three).

"Are you with the Bureau?" Will asked, noticing how well Lou was with his son in distracting him. Henry had been sad the entire time JJ had been gone, always frowning with each day he hadn't seen his mother. Yet Elena Richardson had barely spent a minute with him, and he had been smiling and giggling the entire time. It was a relief to his father, knowing that Henry would have a small moment of happiness as he was dreadfully waiting for the arrival of his mother.

She shook her head, letting Henry go back to playing with her hair. "No, actually I'm just friends with Spencer." Lou realized how that sounded before correcting her mistake (Will still noticed the way she said Spencer's name). "And Penelope. And JJ."

"Mama?" Henry asked, looking at Lou. The confused look came over the brunette's face.

"Henry belongs of Jennifer and me." Will clarified.

Recognition fluttered over Lou's features. "No wonder he's so handsome. Henry's got some good looking parents."

"Don't tell JJ, but he gets it from his father." He bragged, which made Lou laugh. She had a comment to say back to Will, until Henry had let go of her hair, squirming out of her lap. Lou was wondering what had happened to Henry in order for him to move from his spot. His next words, however, clarified why he had been in such a rush.

"Mommy!"

Lou watched as the worn-looking JJ knelt down to her son's level, arms out and waiting as her son wrapped around her in a vice-grip. JJ held on to him just as tight, standing up and carrying him as she walked towards her husband. The former professor couldn't tear her eyes away at the perfect family image that was in front of her. Will had wrapped his arms around his wife (with Spiderman Henry squished in the middle), before placing a long kiss on JJ's lips.

"This is a surprise," JJ commented.

Will shrugged. "We missed you, darlin'."

Elena suddenly realized that if JJ had been here, that meant-

"Ellie!"

She saw him. She saw the tiredness that he embodied from the trip. But mostly, Lou saw the happiness that radiated off of him the second he had laid eyes on her. The surprise of seeing her at the office was thankfully a pleasant one. He was carrying a suitcase and his bag, one in each hand, as he practically ran towards the professor, who stood up to greet him. Once he was in front of her, he had placed his bags on the ground, wrapping his arms around Elena's shoulders as her pulled her closer towards himself. Lou couldn't keep the smile off of her face (and couldn't keep the words that Penelope had said out of her mind) as she tightened her arms around his waist. Holding Spencer had been extremely cathartic to her, and what she needed at that moment.

Spencer hadn't felt this calm since he left for the case. The entire time he was away from Elena, he felt anxious, yet dull. Talking to her over the course of five days was somewhat helpful, but to be able to hold her erased all negative energy coursing through his body. Ellie, for the week and a bit that he'd known her, became a safe haven for him, where he could escape the turmoil and repulsions of his work. He could be with Ellie and talk about _anything_, or he could be with Elena and talk about nothing. Either way, she left a warm and excited feeling in his chest that he never felt before, and he liked every second of it.

She was waiting to ask him about his trip as they slightly pulled away, until he had gone off in his own thought process.

"I am so sorry about missing the show. The unsub had evaded arrest for two days before we caught him. If I had known that we'd inevitably miss the movie I would have called you sooner but the town we were in had very horrible cell reception and-"

He stopped speaking the second he felt two of Elena's fingers on his lips.

"Don't apologize," Lou said with a smile. "That's the job, right?"

Both the individuals heard someone clearing their throat, causing them to turn around to face Dave, Kate, Derek, Penelope, Jennifer, William, and Aaron as they all shared similar smiles on their faces, looking at the two. It was that moment where the two geniuses realized they had still been in each other's embrace, both of them pulling apart sheepishly as their cheeks blazed in red. Kate had taken pity on them, walking up towards Lou with a gleaming smile on her face. They said their 'hellos' as Callahan pulled the younger woman in a hug.

"Did Spencer tell you about the ferrets?"

"Oh, those little devils are so adorable!" Lou gushed to Kate.

"Did I hear you say something about 'little'?" Derek had come up beside the two.

Lou gave him a look. "No, actually, I think you heard me speak of my eyebrow-shaving capabilities."

"I'm sure you're a pro, _Little Lou_." Morgan said before walking away with Penelope (who gave a small wave to Lou as a goodbye). Lou slanted her eyes in Derek's direction, using two fingers to demonstrate that she was watching the profiler. Kate laughed, giving Lou a quick kiss on the cheek before heading out of the office. She gave Aaron a wave as he nodded in her direction with a smile, before going into his office. Dave approached Lou, holding out a stack of paper. Curious, Lou looked at the pages in front of her.

"A sneak peek at my new novel," Rossi had told her. "I'd thought you would be the type of person to enjoy it."

Lou's jaw dropped in shock as she enthusiastically took the pages. "Oh my goodness! Thank you!"

"Let me know if there's anything I need to fix," he said as he walked towards his office.

"That's a dangerous task to ask someone like me!" She shouted towards one of her favourite authors. Lou turned to face the remaining people, watching as Spencer used sleight of hand on Henry in order to make him smile. The coin "magically" appeared from behind Henry's ears, causing Spiderman to chuckle with happiness. Lou took a few steps closer to the group, standing beside JJ (who was still holding her son) and Spencer as she watched her friend mystify the young child. Spencer became a completely different person when he was interacting with Henry, performing magic tricks. He was confident in his motions, and playful in his expressions. He was carefree, and Lou wanted to see more of that side of Spencer. Her entire attention had been given to the man fooling the child.

Henry's attention, however, caught onto Lou. He unexpectedly leaned out of his mother's embrace and toward the professor's. All four individuals were confused at this action as Henry leaned out further, causing JJ's balance to falter. Thankfully, Lou caught Henry before he could plummet to the ground, fixing him back onto JJ's hip. But Lou made the mistake of being very close to the boy as Henry's fingers had instantly found their way into Elena's pink hair.

JJ, astounded at her son's actions, looked at Lou. "I've never seen him warm up that fast to anyone. Looks like Henry really likes you."

Lou smiled, watching Henry's fingers slow down as his head began to fall onto his mother's shoulder, evidently sleepy. "I'm a magnet for these kinds of things. Must be the hair."

Spencer looked at Ellie, seeing how well she was with Henry. She was a natural with children, obvious in the fact that she had a youthful mindset. While Lou's mind had been extremely advanced, she still kept that childhood mentality of innocence, of giddiness, of pure emotion without ulterior motive. It was no wonder Henry had been drawn to her; they were both the same in the sense that they only saw the good within people.

"Shouldn't you two be off?" JJ asked. "I heard Rocky Horror had been involved…"

Lou's smile was wiped off her face, with Spencer shaking his head. "We missed the show."

"The night's still young," Will offered. "It's also Halloween. I'm sure you two can find somethin' to do."

The professor had taken that as an opportunity. "Will's right. There's nothing like a themed movie on Halloween to set the mood."

"Slasher films or cartoons?" Spencer asked as he walked to grab his bags.

"Depends." Lou said. "Are we choosing between Scream or The Nightmare Before Christmas?"

"You going?" The mumbled voice of Henry asked against JJ's shoulder, cutting into the conversation.

"Yes, Henry," she spoke to the little boy softly, who protested. She smiled at his resilience to stay with her as she playfully tapped his nose. "But hopefully we can see each other again soon."

"Most definitely," JJ added. "I'm sure Henry would love spending time with his godfather and… his godfather's friend."

Lou, realizing that Jennifer had been talking about Reid (who apparently had a godson) and herself, ignored her comment as she waved goodbye to Henry. He gave a small wave of his own as he was on the edge of sleep on his mothers's shoulder. Also waving goodbye to JJ and Will, Spencer and Lou had walked back to the elevator, discussing which movie to watch ("_Did you know for the stop motion, they used twenty four frames per second?" "What's the significance of that, Ellie?" "The movie's an hour and sixteen minutes." "…That's a hundred nine thousand four hundred forty frames!_" "_So we're watching that, right?_" "_That's if we decide on what movie we're watching_."). The parents examined the body language the geniuses had as they disappeared behind the elevator before speaking to each other. They were both thinking how the two individuals had stood extremely close to one another. So close that Spencer's hand inadvertently intertwined with Lou's, neither of them noticing.

"They have no idea, do they?" Will asked his wife.

JJ smiled. "Did we when we first started?"

[ + ]

"You live in the Capital Plaza Apartments?" Lou asked in amazement, realizing that Penny had been right about how close Spencer lived to Howard University. They passed through the doors of the FBI, heading out towards the parking lot.

"I do," Reid responded. "But I don't think it's the best place to watch a movie."

"Why? Your television's out of date?"

"I don't have a television."

Lou should have known, considering how Spencer had an abhorrence to any outrageous technological advancements such as texting, email, or portable computers.

"Thankfully, I bring my laptop with me wherever I go. Now the only issue is what movie to watch."

"How about Pet Sematary?" Spencer offered.

"While the novel is fantastic, I'm more in the mood for something that doesn't require killing animated bodies with morphine." Lou was looking through her pockets, trying to find her keys to her ride.

"Sleepy Hollow?" He offered, and Lou's eyes lit up.

"Johnny Depp? Yes please!" She smiled, watching Spencer's eyes bulge out of his head.

The doctor quickly changed tactics, not liking how Lou said '_Johnny Depp'_. "Maybe we should try another movie, like a comedy."

"Hocus Pocus!" Lou screeched, bouncing her spot. "That's it. We're watching Hocus Pocus." Before her counterpart could respond, she kept speaking. "If you tell me right now you've never seen Hocus Pocus, don't even attempt to open your mouth Spencer Reid. What's your middle name by the way? Wait, I'm deviating. What I meant to say was I'm noticing you haven't seen the majority of my favourite movies and for that fact I really don't care if you're against watching them, because we're _so _going to watch them because it is one of the most underrated gems of the film industry."

Spencer smiled at her determination. "Only if we get to watch the original Exorcist afterwards."

"Deal."

The doctor noticed the former professor stopped in front of a motorcycle. Oddly enough, she had the keys to the said motorcycle, unlocking the helmet from its spot before producing another one from a compartment on the side. Spencer realized very quickly that this had been Lou's vehicle of choice. He was hesitant at first, knowing that eventually, he'd have to get on the back of the chrome and black motorcycle (which left Spencer very uneasy). Lou noticed Spencer's discomfort as she held out the other helmet to him.

"It's a two thousand three FLSTF Fat Boy. I mean, it's a Harley. I mean… You have no idea what I'm talking about. Well, the most important thing is that it's completely safe, and I promise to not gun it down the highway."

"There is still a sixty six percent chance of an accident not caused by you. Most motorcycle accidents occur by the error of another vehicle violating the motorcyclist's right-of-way." Spencer had said out of habit.

"I'm not most motorcyclists."

Reid was still worried. "But, what about my bags?"

Lou smiled, placing the helmets down as she grabbed both of Spencer's suitcases, safely securing them to each side of her bike with multiple straps. Demonstrating the safety of the bags, she dramatically spread her arms out wide, a "ta-da" erupting from her mouth as her jazz hands were in effect. Spencer snorted in laugher as he watched her.

"There, now put this on. Safety first!"

He had been reluctant, but he placed the helmet on his head. Lou motioned with her fingers for him to lean down. Obliging to her command, he watched as Elena was focused on the straps of the helmet, adjusting it so it would fit snugly on Spencer. Being face to face with her without making eye contact allowed Spencer to look over her features in detail.

She had thick eyebrows, and predominate cheekbones. Her mouth had been small with full lips, yet the Cupid's bow on her top lip had been disproportioned slightly. She had a beauty mark on the right side of her face on her cheekbone, the small mole being the only perfect blemish on her face. She had slight rosacea on the tips of her nose and cheeks, combined with the hidden freckles. Her eyes had been a dark brown, and he only saw the true colour in the sunlight once. He saw the scab of the wound she received from Joyce Lombard's assault be nothing more than a small mark on her forehead.

But the most startling thing he noticed was the long scar running down the left side of her face from her brow to the corner of her jaw. It was hidden in the hairline, which is why this scar was new to Spencer. She didn't mention anything about it, so Spencer knew he'd have to ask about it another day. He would have looked further if he didn't notice that Elena had been looking at him, curious. It only took her a second to realize what he had been staring at before her eyes widened. She pulled away, looking anywhere else except for Spencer.

That was the moment that Spencer knew to never bring up the scar. Ever.

"So, you excited?" He heard the forceful nature of her tone, and only could nod in response.

She hopped on the bike, looking to Spencer. "Swing over. Use me as support to get on."

It was a rather clumsy attempt, Lou noticed, but Spencer eventually got onto the bike, sitting uncomfortably as he tried leaning away. She smirked reaching behind her as she grabbed both of his arms, wrapping them around her waist. "If you're not as close to me as possible, you'll throw off my equilibrium on the bike."

Spencer's only response was to tighten his arms around her waist.

"Tap once for me to slow down. Tap twice for me to stop, okay?"

"Is there one for three taps?" The scared voice Spencer had used made Lou want to laugh out loud.

"Sorry, that option is only for me."

The humour in poking fun at her disorder caused him to bark in laughter, losing a bit of his nervousness.

"Trust me, Spencer. You'll love the ride."

Hitting the kill switch and turning the motorcycle on, she waited a moment for the vehicle underneath her to warm up. The sound of the engine was so loud and powerful Spencer had been startled for a moment, holding onto Lou for dear life. She smiled at the doctor's action.

"Don't worry, _Doctor_." Ellie knew he'd get the reference. "I'll take care of you." She shouted over the engine, hoping he heard every word as she slowly let go of the clutch, turning the throttle, and shooting the motorcycle forward. Lou focused on driving, instead of Spencer's arms around her. If she was paying attention to the man behind her, she'd notice not only the exhilarated expression on his face, but the endearing look he gave her from the words he had indeed heard.

"_I'll take care of you_."

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><p><em><strong>You guys will be getting another chapter within the next week. I really have to focus on my essays, so you guys just hang on. And TRUST ME, the next chapter will be worth the wait (*insert wink of conspiracy*)<strong>_

_**Follow? Favourite? Review?**_

_**xoxo N.**_

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><p><em>Next Time: "A book? ...The Narrative of John Smith. Huh, I thought you didn't like literature, Doctor."<em>


	12. Douze

_**Hey Everyone!**_

_**So, I sort-of lied to myself after I almost finished one of my essays, realizing that this fanfiction is literally consuming me. Blue (God bless my Beta) has now refused to edit any more chapters within the next week, so I am officially going to be forced to write my essays (which means no update until **__**MAYBE Friday?).**_

_**But seriously, you guys are the only one benefiting from my procrastination.**_

_**Shoutout to the 152 followers (okay, you guys fucking rock), and also to the 92 special people who think my story is worthy enough to be on their favourites list, you guys make me happy!**_

_**Special Special Shoutouts to **Sue1313, fishtrek, NewYorkCelt, Dalonega Noquisi, HaruHaruxLove, TazzieLuv13, bridgetlynn, CalamityBangs, **and** Love-Fandom03 **for being amazing and loyal readers. You guys are the the epitome of why I write and I live for your feedback. Sending virtual x's and o's to you all!**_

_**On another note, I give you a full chapter of Spencer/Lou cuteness.**_

_**Enjoy!**_

_**P.S. I have no rights to Criminal Minds. Only Professor Elena Richardson.**_

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><p>"You were right."<p>

Elena didn't hear Spencer as she stood in the middle of his home. The walls were a forest green, which complimented the dark-stained wood trimmings on each of his bookshelves. The bookshelves, those enclaves carved out from the wall, were the one thing she couldn't keep her eyes off of. Spencer unlocked his front door earlier, opening Lou up to his quaint apartment. She was captivated by his second-hand furniture that matched perfectly. She expected Spencer's home to be neat, to which she wasn't disappointed. There were a few paintings on the walls, and other nick-knacks lying around. But what Lou couldn't get over was the multiple bookshelves packed with books.

She tried suppressing the hurtful feeling inside her, knowing Spencer had lied to her.

Because he _definitely_ loved reading books.

"Elena?"

"Huh?" The unintelligible answer came from the professor. Her brain played catch-up, reminding her of Spencer's earlier sentence.

"Oh, about what?" She asked, removing her scarf as she placed it over the closest chair.

Spencer could feel the shift in her manner, but decided not to say anything until he figured it out completely. He placed his backpack in one of his arm chairs, a red blanket underneath the leather messenger bag. "Being on the motorcycle was quite fun, actually."

Whatever she was feeling in the previous moment vanished as she lit up with his words. "See? I told you! It's exhilarating, isn't it?"

"If it's every once in a while, yes." Spencer walked into his kitchen, realizing quickly he had no food in his refrigerator. His hand hesitated over the handle of the fridge, trying to come up with anything in his pantry. He felt a bit embarrassed, knowing he should have gone grocery shopping. Then again, he hadn't been home in five days. Turning to Elena, he was about to ask if she didn't mind take out, when his question died on his tongue. He watched as Elena held a book from his shelves in her hand. _The Mysteries of Udolpho_. He watched as Ellie flipped through the pages, going through the text much quicker than he'd seen an average person read. He saw the look of concentration on her face as she turned the book in her hands, most likely reading his notes in the margins. Watching the smile grow on her face, Spencer couldn't help but be captivated by something trivial as watching her read. To see her comfortable enough to feel free to take a book off of his shelf gave Spencer's _heart_ an extra jolt that he couldn't understand at that moment.

"I already ate," Ellie said, not deviating from reading the book.

Spencer was startled by her intuition, until he realized that Ellie must have figured out that there was nothing edible in his home, since he hadn't been there for almost a week. Filling up two glasses of water, he brought them to the coffee table, where Ellie sat down along with him.

"I thought we'd be watching a movie," he commented.

Lou gasped, closing the book out of embarrassment as she stood to place it back in its rightful spot on the bookshelf. "I'm sorry. The eighteenth century gothic genre was always one of my weak spots." Elena walked to where she unceremoniously dumped her backpack on the floor (Spencer was noticing this was a habit of hers), pulling out her laptop and charger as she found an outlet before settling on the couch beside her- _the _doctor.

"Now." Ellie pulled up her favourite black-list website for movies. "Let's see if they are any high quality versions of Hocus Pocus posted."

"Are you pirating movies?" Spencer asked, leaning closer towards what Elena was doing on the computer.

Lou shrugged her shoulders. "Technically, I'm not stealing. I'm _streaming_."

"Piracy leads to twelve point two billion dollars in economic losses each year. Plus, forty two percent of softwares are illegally manufactured."

She snorted. "You know facts about technology, and yet are still a technophobe?"

"Ellie," Spencer said seriously. "I work for the FBI."

"I'm aware."

He huffed in frustration at her joke.

"You can't do illegal things in front of me."

She rolled her eyes at him. Lou couldn't believe how straight-edge the man sitting beside her was. So much so that he was against breaking a very small law (but to Lou, it was more of a _suggestion_). "Spencer, live a little. Although I appreciate you letting me live an alternate lifestyle away from your sight, but be scandalous for one moment and watch an illegally downloaded movie with me."

He shook his head. "I refuse."

Ellie would have said a comeback, if Spencer's hand didn't closed the laptop, causing Lou to pull her hands back before it was eaten by her computer. She gasped, noticing the stern, but humourous look on Spencer's face. Raising an eyebrow, she gave him a cold stare (but not so cold in order to allow Spencer to pick up on the playfulness of her attitude).

"You just closed my computer. Nobody closes my computer."

"Well, I just did." He said proudly, mischief in his eyes. "What are you going to do about it?"

"What am I going to do?" Lou shifted her laptop to the table, standing. "Oh, I'm gonna…" She looked around, noticing that there was nothing in her path to destroy except for the books. Lou didn't have the _heart_ to physically damage any novel (no matter how _horrid_ the plot was). But rearranging his order, however, had been a devilish idea (and Lou liked her devilish ideas). Lou picked up on the fact that Doctor Reid had liked organization just as much as she did. With that thought, she knew how frustrated Spencer would be if she caused chaos with his order. She turned to Spencer, who carried a smirk on his face. She shared the same smirk, never breaking eye contact with Spencer. Lou reached behind her with her left hand, feeling the spine of a book. Pulling it out, she noticed it was an anatomy book. Reaching back with her right hand, she pulled out a copy of _Hamlet_. Switching the books in her hand, she put the anatomy book where _Hamlet_ should have been, and vice versa with the other book.

Crossing her arms, she stood proudly.

"There. Now tell me you don't want to put them back."

On the contrary, Spencer was itching to jump out of his seat to put the books back in their rightful spots. But he was also determined to not fall to Elena's ploy of having the upper hand. So Spencer leaned back into his couch, crossing his arms as well.

"Feel free to go bananas, _Lou_."

Her eyes slanted, realizing that he used her earlier words against her, meanwhile referring to the nickname that Spencer was not allowed to use. Lou knew that he was doing this to antagonize her further. But Ellie could be the second person to play the two-player game as she smiled at Spencer before turning around, pulling out two or three books at a time, switching them constantly. Lou took a good look at the bookshelf before she rearranged it, with the intent to place everything back in its rightful spot after their game was done. She knew it was only a matter of time before Spencer got up and pushed her out of the way to place everything back to normal, so Elena picked up her pace, shifting one with another quickly.

She wasn't expecting Spencer's actions when she got to the 15th switch. As soon as she placed a withered version of _The Castle of Otranto_ back on the shelf, she felt two arms sneak around her waist. Lou shrieked in surprised as she felt herself being carried to the couch. Spencer placed her on the couch on her back, and when Ellie thought she was going to be free, she felt Spencer's fingers on her side. She jolted from his touch slightly.

"Easy. I'm ticklish."

Lou gasped, realizing that was a _very _bad topic to mention to a mischievous Spencer Reid. The grin on his face grew, his hands still on the side of her torso. Her slight fear of being tortured by his tickling came true as soon as Spencer began his merciless torment on her, his fingers being relentless against her.

Her laughs were wild in between her words. "You're- ah! Stop- I'm- tick- ticklish-"

"I'm aware," he mimicked her words over her giggles as he didn't stop his fingers dancing over her skin.

"Spencer!" She shouted, and he loved the way she said his name, her words being lost in her chuckles.

He was more forceful with making Lou suffer through a fit of laughs. Ellie in that moment had been captivating, which made him want to look at her for days. He admired her playful smile that spread across her face, and the tears of humour pooling in her eyes. But mostly, he listened to the sweet sound of Elena's laugh fill the apartment that never had enough joy echoing off the walls. His house was uninteresting, just intended to be a place to call his own when he was away from work. Yet when Ellie came into his place, leaving her bag on the ground, her scarf on the chair, her laptop on the table, her practical joke on the shelves, and her laughs in the air, it felt more like…

Well, it felt more like home.

"You win!" She shouted. "I give!"

He smiled down at her, watching her face relax from all the laughing she did. "Are you going to apologize?"

"For what? Acting out after you antagonized me?"

"_I_ antagonized _you_?"

"Excessively!" She said, poking at his chest. "Had you not closed my computer as forcefully as you did, we would not be in this predicament."

Spencer looked at her in disbelief. "Had you not _tried_ to commit a federal offence, we most likely wouldn't be in this predicament."

What the two geniuses realized, however, was the predicament they were in was much more intimate then they led on. The two were thinking of how the other should apologize to one another. Yet the _real_ predicament, that Spencer and Lou had come to grasp, was how Spencer was currently on top of Ellie, one of his hands at her waist, an arm supporting him by her head, and a knee between her legs. One of Lou's hands was resting on the bicep of the arm Spencer used as support, and the other hand on his chest, feeling the steady beat of the organ keeping him alive.

Spencer was the first one to notice he'd been practically laying on Elena as he shot up from his position, falling back to the other side of the couch. Ellie shifted closer to the other side, watching Spencer's cheeks flash in red.

"I'm sorry," he said to the woman sitting across from him. "That was invasive of me."

But Lou's response was to laugh at him, causing confusion with the doctor. "What's funny?"

Ellie smiled. "A moment ago, you were asking _me_ to apologize."

He realized the irony of the situation, and couldn't help but chuckle. The little laugh that came from Spencer caused Elena to erupt, both individuals giggling like children. Lou looked at Spencer, loving the carefree attitude he was carrying. She saw him stutter over himself on several occasions, his embarrassment getting the better of him constantly. Now that he was in a place away from the public eye, where it was just her, she could say anything to him, to try to make him feel less embarrassed for the actions he _wanted_ to do. Because she knew that she would get the real side out of him. The side that she wanted to see; the Spencer he hid from the world.

She shuffled closer to him on the couch, her knees touching his thigh. He didn't flinch or move back, which prompted Elena to remember Penelope's words, which contradicted his current actions.

"Penny told me a personal note about you."

_That_ was when she felt him tense.

Spencer was dreading as to where the conversation would go. What did Garcia say about him? Surely she wouldn't have mentioned anything too extreme. Garcia respected boundaries, and also respected things that were painful to talk about. So had Penelope gone off and spilled his entire life story to the great woman he was developing a closer relationship with?

"She said," Lou took a moment to take a deep breath. "She said… that you were a germaphobe."

Ellie physically saw Spencer's shoulders drop in relief, which clued her in.

_He's hiding something. Number one, he lied about reading novels recreationally. Number two, he got nervous the second I mentioned personal topics. Just waiting on lucky number three…_

"She told me that you don't like touching people." There was sadness in her tone. "Was she telling the truth?"

Spencer took a moment to respond.

"Yes, I dislike contact. It bothers me." He was honest with Elena. He wished he was completely honest with her the second he met her, but he still had that one large lie hanging over his head.

"So, this bothers you?"

Spencer was in complete and utter happiness in that moment as he felt Ellie's hand in his. She looked at him eagerly, her one hand clutching his own, while the other hand trailed a finger on the sensitive skin on the back of his hand. The doctor was trying to process what was happening at that moment. Her hand in his own, combined with her finger, combined with her knee pressed against his thigh drove Spencer absolutely crazy. How was it that the smallest of touches left Spencer whirling in emotion?

He didn't know what came over him when he grabbed Elena from his bookshelf, also lingering over her as the play fight finished. He wasn't thinking of the germs he would contract from her from the keypad of her laptop that her hands came in contact with. Nor did he worry of how there was most likely grease from her motorcycle on her person. He could only think of her hand on his bicep made him feel dizzy with ecstasy, or when their hands intertwined, his mind slowed down its frantic state, or how touching her made him crave her attention more. But mostly, the peace that came with her palm resting over his _heart_ had been so powerful he almost begged her to do it again.

He smiled at her, looking at their hands.

"No. Not when it's you."

Lou was caught off-guard at Spencer's confession. What Penelope had said to her was the truth; Spencer had a very large crush on her if he was a germaphobe that was completely comfortable with touching her. His hand tightened around hers, making Elena meet his eyes as she realized he was completely telling her the truth. Her _heart_ swelled at the thought of the sweet man in front of her having affections for her. It was only fitting, because she shared the same affections for Spencer. She wanted to touch him every second of the day. She wanted to hold his hand, hug him, run her fingers through his hair (which she was waiting for the perfect opportunity); do _anything_ just so she could have that contact with Spencer.

The thought of kissing him, however, made her stomach somersault.

_That_ was a different dream entirely.

"Can I ask something personal about you?" Spencer said after a moment.

She tried keeping her breaths even, dreading what he would say.

_Anything but the scar. Anything but the scar_.

"What's your mother like?"

Elena knew that one had been a close call.

"I know how your father is," he continued his train of thought. "But I haven't heard you speak of your mother."

Lou looked at him, biting her lip as she was deciding her next words carefully.

"I'll tell you about my mother if you tell me about yours." She teased.

Spencer nodded. He could do that. He could open up about Diana Reid.

Ellie took a moment to gather her thoughts. "Her name's Antoinette, and she is one of- no, _the_ strongest woman I know. She's the CEO of TechPharm." by Spencer's raised eyebrows, Lou knew he was aware of the prestigious company. "Also, she happens to be number sixteen on the Fortune five-hundred list. But… I never saw her as her title. I saw her as the woman who made sure she tucked me into bed every night, reading Shakespeare and Marie de France to me. She… she wanted to be an English teacher, too." Lou couldn't help but be sad for her mother. "But she had very strict parents. They wanted her to be successful, and so she listened to them. She always encouraged me to find out who I wanted to be. She only helped when I asked. When I was sad, she'd make my favourite sugar cookies. My mother was never harsh on me, not even when disciplining me. She always respects my wishes."

"She must have been proud when you told her you wanted to become a professor of English."

Lou smiled, remembering the conversation in the library when Elena was sixteen.

(_"Mother, I think I know who I want to be._"

"_You don't need to decide that now, Elena Lou_."

"_But I already have. I want to teach literature._"

"_Oh darling, please don't chase my dreams just for my sake._"

"_It's my dream, too. I guess I'm just my mother's daughter_.")

"She burst into tears, actually. She couldn't believe that I wanted the same things she wanted. But she supported me completely, even after my father had a fit about my choice of profession."

Lou looked to Spencer who was listening intently, blushing at the look of utter fixation he was giving her. "So, is Mama Reid just as intelligent as her son?"

Spencer nodded with a smile on his face, loving how Ellie referred to his mother. "Quite, and her name is Diana. She was a professor, just like yourself."

"No kidding?" Lou was shocked to hear that bit of information.

"But," he gathered his wits. "She eventually quit her job, due to her schizophrenia." Lou was slightly shocked at the matter, but Spencer could see she was being respectful. "She was bed-ridden for most of my life, frequently being induced under heavy medication. I… took care of myself growing up." He felt his hand being held tighter as Elena's sympathetic eyes looked at him. "Eventually, I made the decision to get her help. She's at the Bennington Sanitarium, and doing rather well. She's better than she's ever been." Lou realized Spencer's mother was currently in Vegas, which was most likely his hometown. "But it wasn't all bad. She would read the classics to me."

"That is the best way to learn," Ellie said, and Spencer chuckled at the fact that Elena Richardson and Diana Reid shared the same mentality.

"So, she read you Raleigh? Marlowe? Proust?"

(_"The smell of the Madeleine, unleashing the flood of the memory…_")

Spencer was pulled out of one of his memories with his mother as he nodded. "Proust was a favourite of hers."

Pushing the nagging feeling away, she continued."Your mother must have a lot of favourites," Elena added. "I'm guessing you were her favourite child…?"

"I was her only child, so yes, I was her favourite. That was also a clever way of asking if I had siblings."

Lou put her hand that wasn't holding Spencer's up in defence, the playful grin back on her face. "You caught me. I've been secretly trying to stalk you. I want to know if there are any other family members that might get in my way."

Spencer reflected her grin. "You are ridiculously horrible at stalking. You've made contact with your target without finding a secure second location to hide me."

"Well, that's if I _choose_ to kidnap you. I could keep you captive in your own home."

"But then the team would eventually know I was missing." He challenged, causing Lou to stutter over herself.

"Well- that- uh… I never said I was a _good_ stalker."

Spencer and Ellie laughed at their atrocious attempts at jokes with one another, realizing the two had a very odd sense of humour. Not once had their hands parted, both of them needing the physical aspect of intimacy. Now that they were both aware that Lou and Spencer both loved holding each other's hand, there had been no shyness. Spencer was brave enough to take a risk, tracing the palms of her hand with the tips of his fingers. Lou, spreading her hand out more to give Spencer more room to navigate, watched as his fingers trailed up and down each one of her long, bony fingers. She had the appearance of delicate hands, but Spencer knew they were anything but delicate. His fingers gave her a peculiar sensation that caused shivers to go up her spine. Spencer noticed her quiver, concern written on his face.

"Are you cold?" He asked Ellie, to which she could only nod. She couldn't find the words to describe how the shiver was one of the most pleasing emotions she had while touching him. Spencer let go of her hand, standing up as he reached over to where the red blanket was draped, pulling it towards him. He caught his bag in time before it plummeted to the ground, not bothering to close the flap. He shook out the blanket as he turned, wrapping the heavy cloth around Ellie's shoulders.

"Tea?" He asked, and Lou nodded again, with a smile.

As he walked to the kitchen, Ellie allowed herself a deep breath, shamelessly smelling the blanket around her. It smelled completely like Spencer. While she knew it was absolutely creepy to be sniffing someone else's blanket, Lou couldn't keep her nose out of the cloth (literally). She was enjoying being surrounded by Spencer's scent as she scanned the small apartment again. It suited Spencer, as he was the only one living there. It had dark, natural colours throughout, and heavy on the woodwork. Her eyes trailed over the table towards the chair that held Spencer's bag. Lou noticed the over-flap of the messenger bag was hanging off the side of the couch towards her, exposing her slightly to the contents of the bag. She saw the corner of the case of his credentials, and a few pieces of paper from the files in his bag.

But what she noticed, however, was the bold words that were facing her.

_The Narrative of John Smith._

Now Lou successfully found lucky #3 on her list of things Spencer was keeping from her. He was _for sure_ hiding something. He lied about reading on a daily basis. He was skittish when waiting for a personal question. If he carried around a book, in his bag that he uses every day, that must mean he was fond of literature. So what was the personal thing he was lying about?

"What's this?" Elena said dramatically, a spirited smile masking her true motive.

Spencer, who had placed the kettle on the stove, turned to find Ellie pushing the blanket off of her shoulders as she walked towards his backpack. His _heart_ froze in fear as he realized what Elena was referring to. His bag was open. The bag that held the book. His bag that held _The Narrative of John Smith_ given to him by the love of his life-

He was taken off-guard when thinking of "_the love of his life_". He felt it odd to refer to Maeve like that. Which frustrated him… Why wouldn't he think Maeve was important? She was his _everything_. She helped him with his headaches. She kept him safe from her stalker. She defended herself _for _him. Maeve was the only person to truly understand him, without judging him. That was until Lou came into his life. Lou started to open the wound he spent months sewing back together. The empty spot in his chest had ached as he watched Elena's fingers grab onto what was left of his _heart._ Maeve was too precious to share with Elena. Not at that moment.

"A book?" She asked, taking the item out of the bag. _"'The Narrative of John Smith'_." Ellie announced, turning the cover of the book to Spencer.

"Huh, I thought you didn't like literature, _Doctor_." Lou watched as he walked towards her.

"This book's different." He was almost in front of her.

"How so?"

"It just is."

Elena could see that Spencer wasn't joking around anymore.

"…You're not going to tell me _anything_ about the book?"

"No."

Lou couldn't help but be flabbergasted.

"Please don't go through my things, Elena."

Ellie, not believing how _harsh _Spencer was being, looked at him as he _snatched_ the book out of her grasps. He refused to make eye contact with her as he took the book, placing it in his backpack before taking his messenger bag out of the room and into the kitchen. Lou began to feel a weight on her chest. They had just been opening up, and Lou had to do a stupid thing and snoop, and be a know-it-all, like she usually was. Because Lou pieced it together. She figured out what Spencer was keeping from her. He must have just gotten out of a very serious relationship, and to people like Spencer and Lou, that rarely ever happened. He denied liking novels (which broke something inside of her because he carried one around with him _all the time_) and tensed at personal topics (which also meant he didn't want to talk about his past). She figured he still loved whoever it was that was better than silly little Lou with her head still stuck in Children's novels. Spencer may have had a crush on Lou, but Elena could see that he _loved_ whoever was the person that gave him that book. Lou was competing against another woman.

She never won a competition in her life, so why would she win this time?

Spencer was too caught up in his own anger for not moving his bag to a different room sooner. She shouldn't have figured out his personal life so soon. He needed more time with Lou, to ease her into the situation, and now she'd figure out what was going on. He didn't want to explain Maeve to Ellie yet. The wounds barely healed. He didn't know if he could take it if he spoke about Maeve. _Stupid move, Spencer. You're supposed to be a genius_.

"She must be beautiful. Or smart. Oh, who am I kidding? She's _both._" Elena said, causing Spencer's head to whip around towards Ellie.

"Who?"

"Her. Whoever it is that gave you that book." Lou was shaking her head, grabbing her leather backpack as she placed her belongings in the bag. "She must really be worth it if you keep that with you at all times."

"Ellie-" Spencer was confused. What was happening?

"Spencer, I understand." She threw on her jacket as she stood by the door, putting her favourite pink shoes on her feet. "Out of _all_ the people in this world, I completely understand. Holding onto something that you both shared, reminding you of that person everyday, _especially _a book…"

She shrugged her shoulders, and Spencer was shattering at the sight of the tears in her eyes.

"I never had a chance, did I?"

Spencer couldn't say anything, watching Elena run out of his home. What happened in the few seconds he took the book from Elena? He was furious at himself for being _stupid_ enough to leave his bag open to her view that he lost track of Lou's assumptions. Did Elena think he was angry with her? He looked around the room, realizing the puffy beige scarf was still hanging on the back of the chair. He walked towards the article, pulling it close to his person. Instantly, he was assaulted by Ellie's perfume that was intoxicating to him. The scent of Elena had snapped his mind back into focus, realizing what occurred a minute prior.

Elena assumed there was another woman in his life.

While she wasn't wrong, she also wasn't completely right. Spencer didn't know if he could tell her that the woman who stole the organ in his chest took it forever in the afterlife, and ever since then he'd been trying to cross over to take it back. He knew Maeve was gone forever. But he also knew he'd have to move on. It was more difficult to be done than said, but saying it was just as hard. Which is why he didn't tell Ellie.

_Ellie_, Spencer realized, who ran out of his home, in tears; upset because of the miscommunication._  
><em>

She thought he loved someone else.

Which was a half-truth.

Which is what she figured out.

Which he should have clarified.

But didn't.

_Oh no._

He heard the faint sound of a heavy engine belonging to a motorcycle, causing Spencer to run out of his home with her scarf in his hand. He ran down the steps, through his lobby (and avoiding the odd glance). Spencer pushed the entrance door open, seeing Elena revving her bike up on the street as she slid the cover to her helmet over her face. "Ellie!" He shouted, knowing she most likely wouldn't be able to hear him. He ran closer to her, shouting her name repeatedly. "Elena!" He was less than a meter away as he watched the bike spring forward, shooting off into traffic.

"Ellie!" Spencer shouted, standing barefoot in the middle of the road as he watched the owner of the scarf in his hand drive away with a small piece of his _heart_.

* * *

><p><em><strong>I wear a bulletproof vest wherever I go, so don't think you can get away from shooting me.<strong>_

_**I actually shed a tear writing this chapter. I feel so bad hurting Ellie. But it's my job, so I gotta do what I gotta do.**_

_**Hate it? Love it? Tell me in a review!**_

_**Don't forget to favourite/subscribe!**_

_**xoxo N.**_

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><p><em>Next Time: "Where's Reid?"<em>


	13. Treize

**_Hey Everyone!_**

**_So those essays were literally brutal, but now I have nothing else to write for the next month... Well, except The Tin Man's Lament of course! I hope you all didn't suffer horribly at the little hiatus, but I shall try to keep you all updated._**

**_For those wondering about The Portrait of Gamophobia... Blue accidentally corrupted the file, and while we spent days trying to fix it, the chapter is long gone. Luckily I keep the outlines to all my chapters, so expect a chapter soon!_**

**_Thank you to the 105 favourites, as well as the 173 followers (OH SWEET BABY JESUS!). You guys are amazing._**

**_Special Special Thanks go out to my (traumatized) reviewers: _**_Guest, Dalonega Noquisi, Arminia, CalamityBangs, Rivermoon1970, MiaR, Love-Fandom03, Sue1313, MsRose91, HaruHaruxLove, ShadowPheonix34, TazzieLuv13, **and **RJNorth.** I'm sorry to have destroyed your emotions, but I promise that this chapter does the complete opposite!**_

_**Hit me up on tumblr: thesongsweforgottoplay.**_

_**Enjoy!**_

_**P.S. Criminal Minds ain't mine!**_

* * *

><p>Kate thanked the stars that she was arriving to work on time. Chris managed to get Meg to school early, allowing Callahan a few minutes to enjoy her coffee in the comfort of her own home before making the commute to work. She walked through the building, waving at a few of her old colleagues before getting into the elevator. Rossi and Morgan walked in right after her, to which she gave a wide smile to both as they were in the middle of a very heated debate.<p>

"…the wood would take a longer time to warp."

"This isn't New Orleans, Morgan. It'll be years until that happens."

"My point exactly."

"Look," Rossi said to Morgan. "If you want to use oak for your deck, that's your prerogative. But I'm just saying, cedar is much sturdier."

"Oak leaves a better finish," Derek added, nudging Kate playfully with his elbow. "Right, Callahan?"

Kate looked at the two. "Isn't it a little too late in the season to be talking about renovations?"

"With Morgan, it's never too late. Well, it'll be too late if he uses oak."

Morgan looked at his friend with a curious eyebrow raised. "You know what? I'm gonna use redwood and call it a day."

"Smart move." David said, the elevator arriving to the sixth floor, allowing the three profiles to exit the lift. While Morgan and Rossi debated on which stain would work well with the exterior of Derek's new home while Rossi got settled in his office, Kate was eagerly looking for Spencer. She would be lying if she wasn't curious about how Reid spent the previous night. After she spied on the two geniuses exiting the building together, she couldn't help but be excited for her co-worker. Kate easily saw how hard it was for Spencer to bond with any new person, evident in the weeks he took to open up to Kate by just a fraction. She was happy for Spencer, and was eagerly waiting to assault him with questions about the events of the previous night.

But when Kate saw an empty desk, and no signs of a sweater vest, she didn't know how to react.

Morgan picked up on the absence of Spencer as well.

"Where's Reid?" Morgan asked towards JJ, who made her way beside him and Callahan.

The blonde shrugged. "No idea. Garcia's been calling him, but there's no answer."

"You don't think it's anything bad, do you?" Kate questioned.

Morgan placed a mischievous grin on his face. "Well, we can't assume anything. I mean, he did spend the night with his _friend_."

The profilers eyed one another, the same thought running through their heads.

JJ looked to Kate. "Maybe?"

"Would he?"

Morgan butted in. "He was with Little Lou last night."

"And Reid has never been late…" JJ trailed off.

"Oh no." Penelope, a vision in teal, was walking towards the group. "You all can't be thinking Reid not being here is a good thing because it's _not _a good thing. It's a very bad thing, and when I see that stupid genius I am going to give him a piece of my mind-"

"Penelope?" Derek asked. "Did you get a hold of Reid?"

"For a second," Garcia looked forlorn. "But I got a hold of Lou, and if I think about my munchkin's heartbroken voice again I will burst into tears."

The three profilers were attentive after Garcia's words.

"Before you ask, I have no idea what happened. But by Lou's tone and Reid asking for her address, something that _wasn't _good happened and I just want to go to her place and give her the biggest hug and a whole box of Twix chocolates just so I know she'll be okay."

"Twix?" Morgan asked.

"She's obsessed with those buggers."

"But it seemed everything was going well," JJ mentioned, thinking of how close they were in the elevator.

Penelope nodded in agreement. "That's what I thought to."

Morgan looked at his Baby Girl. "How many times have you tried Reid?"

"Dozens, but I will try dozens more."

"He's going to keep getting into trouble if he keeps avoiding work," Kate sat at her desk, pulling up her paperwork.

Penelope carried the look of rage on her face.

"Whatever Hotch is dishing out to Reid will be nothing compared to the wrath of Penny G."

[ + ]

The motorcycle was left at home as Lou, being sleep deprived (her fault entirely), drove Rosie to the _Arlington Animal Shelter_, walking through the corridors of the centre. She spent the night looking up benefits of having a pet. ("_The scientific aspect of the presence of a domestic animal increases levels of serotonin and dopamine, as well as lowers blood pressure, triglyceride and cholesterol levels_."). But Lou also knew pets provided companionship, increased her physical exertion, and released anxiety, which to Elena was a big bonus. She thought about heading to the local pet shop, but remembered the animal shelter that was begging for residences to take a new pet home.

After striking a deal with Mary, her friendly elderly next door neighbour, to take care of the pet when she was away, Lou came to the decision to give an animal a new home.

_Spencer would probably think this is_-

Lou stopped before she could allow herself to think further. Every time she thought of Spencer a few more tears leaked from the corner of her eye. Elena was somewhere between in a fit of rage to absolutely devastated. She spent the night tossing and turning, Spencer's look of anger etched into her memories. Lou shook her head, trying to physically remove the negative thoughts before going into the building.

She went into the shelter with open mind. While she was saddened at the lack of otters and ferrets, she didn't mind the birds, playing with the cockatoo first. While the big white bird was quite lovely, Lou didn't like the fact the bird had a foul mouth. Elena then moved to the cats, where she was swimming in kittens. She thought she found her pet, an absolutely adorable tabby, until she began a fit of sneezes. The volunteers told her that she was most likely allergic to cats. A sour Lou was dejected, moving on to the section of the shelter that held the dog cages. She walked past a poodle, a beauceron, a collie, and a sheepdog, and none of them had the connection she was looking for.

But when she walked past a cage that held a large, white dog with a big black spot on its back, she couldn't help but stop in her path. The bright blue eyes on the dark face perked its ears towards her, curious at the new person.

"Be careful with this one," the volunteer that was showing Lou around warned her. "He's very defensive. Will snap at anyone if he doesn't like them."

The dog didn't _look_ harmless. In fact, Lou felt the animal was lonely. Not heeding the warning given to her, Lou opened the door to the enclosed, cement cage. The dog snapped up from his position, sitting up, vigilant. His ears were attentive as he gave a deep growl in his chest. Her grandpapa taught her about approaching an unfamiliar animal as she remembered to ignore the dog, giving the dog an opportunity to pick up on her scent.

She didn't move, flinch, or make eye-contact as the dog took a moment before standing on all fours, hesitantly making his way towards her. Lou could see it was an intelligent dog as the large animal tip-toed towards Lou. She slowly held out her fist, allowing the wet nose to find her scent as he was less than an inch away from her. When she gave a moment for the animal to smell her, she took a big step, opening her fist. Elena took a risk, softly running her hand on top of his head.

When the dog pushed his hand further into her palm, she couldn't help the protective feeling blossoming within her.

"What's his name?" Lou asked, continuing to pet the dog.

"Dexter," the volunteer with the nametag "_Lucas_" told Elena. "He's a German Sheppard and Siberian Husky mix."

_Dexter_. Lou thought, loving the name. "Why hasn't no one adopted him?"

"His old owner was in bomb disposal for the Army. Dexter was with him overseas as a sniffer dog when their convoy was blown, killing everyone but the little guy. The family couldn't keep the dog, saying he was volatile, so he was sent here."

"You weren't being vicious, were you?" She knelt down to his level, her hands on her knees. "You just missed your friend, huh, Dexter?"

Lou looked into the eyes of the lonely dog, watching his tail wag in excitement. She felt something within her to keep the dog safe. This dog- no, _war hero_, was sitting in a cell, considered as dangerous for missing his best friend. Dexter was overlooked by everyone based on his emotions, and Lou came to the decision that she wouldn't overlook the big guy. He deserved a good home, and Lou was going to be that person to give it to him.

"He's turning two in December," Lou felt a bit of persuasion in his voice. "He's housetrained, and is up to date with all his shots."

"If you're trying to convince me to adopt him, you're too late. I've already fallen for the big lug."

Apparently, Dexter also fell for the only person who had been kind to him, and that was when Lou turned to Lucas.

"How long will it be before I can take Dexter home?"

Lucas shrugged. "Well, filling out the paperwork could take a while, plus a representative has to examine that you've got a good home for the dog. But, in Dexter's case, I'm sure you could take him home today. Just as long as you sign an agreement to have a random inspection on your home at any given time in the next month."

It took less than twenty minutes and three hundred dollars for Lou to have a new friend. She walked out of the building with a large box of supplies, and Dexter walked out with a brand new red collar. Lou was thinking about getting him a nametag that same day when she noticed a gentleman who had a penchant for sweater jackets and Doctor Who was standing awkwardly at the end of the entrance way. Dexter stopped along with her, sensing her distress. Lou could hear the low growl, to which Lou shushed out his name before turning to the doctor.

"Spencer," she stated in astonishment. "What are you…? _How_ did you find me here?"

Reid, being deprived from sleep as well, stood shyly in front of Ellie. "Your neighbour Mary was very nice. She told me you were adopting a pet."

"But I never told you where I lived." Elena realized that while _she _wasn't a good stalker, Spencer happened to be an expert. "How did you find me?"

"…Penelope." Spencer chose to answer with only one word.

"Why did I even bother to ask?" Lou adjusted her grip on the box. "Well, it was a complete waste of your time. I'm sure you have more pressing matters like going to work, or _reading_, for that matter."

Lou walked past him, Dexter right beside her. Opening the back door, Elena placed the box on the farther seat before she encouraged Dexter to go onto the seat, avoiding Spencer as he was less than three feet away from her. She made it her goal to completely avoid him. Not only was she mad at him lying to her, she felt awkward. How was she supposed to react to him without being… _friendly_? Huffing at the stubbornness of her new dog, as well as the frustrating situation she was in, Lou pushed Dexter up into the car. As she was shutting the door, she heard the man behind her speak again.

"I read _Lolita_," he told her quietly.

She stopped shutting the door mid-way. Something within her was happy by that bit of information.

"It is disturbing, but I can see why it's one of your favourites." She turned to see him look at his shoes, using one foot to trace the ground. She ached to hug his forlorn figure as she faced the car again, checking on Dexter as a distraction. "It's a very beautiful book."

"It's Nabokov's greatest work." Lou said after she closed the back door, turning to face Spencer with her arms crossed. While she was still upset, she liked knowing that Spencer enjoyed one of her favourite novels.

Spencer looked at Elena. He could see how hurt she was by his actions the previous night. He knew he should have handled the situation better, but he was thrown off at his emotions. He couldn't understand how the pain of losing Maeve lessened when he thought of her, and that confusion, which lead to the miscommunication, also lead to his frustration. He should have told Ellie the truth from the beginning, before he hurt her with his actions. He should have just been honest with her, because the reminder of watching Ellie drive away in tears because it was _his _fault kept him from sleeping.

"I'm sorry I lied," he told her.

Lou shut her eyes. This was too emotional for her at the moment.

"I'm sorry I wasn't honest with you from the beginning."

"You don't have to explain, Spencer-"

"No," he said sternly. "No, I do… But I can't."

Elena was confused. What did he mean by that?

"I… don't know how to tell you this without being rude to you, but…" Spencer was finding it difficult to come up with the words, and thought of the only way he could convey his message properly. Unfortunately, it meant that he was bringing up Lou's pain as well. "I can't tell you this. I can't… tell you about the book. It's too personal."

"Why?"

Spencer allowed himself a stuttered breath.

"The book… is _my _scar."

He watched the flash of pain reach her eyes as Lou touched the side of her face that had the mark.

"And I hate making that comparison. I hate that I have to bring something up that is obviously an atrocious reminder of a terrible thing, but it was the only way to tell you _everything _without saying a word. I wish I could tell you everything, but I-"

"Spencer."

Lou realized she made an error, rather a large mistake than she originally thought. She was quick to assume the worst, when in reality, she assumed the best possible scenario for his situation. Spencer did have a previous girlfriend, only said girlfriend hadn't left him in the sense she broke up with him. The woman was taken from Spencer in the worst possible way, and Elena poked at a wound that was most likely still bleeding. If he was comparing his emotional wounds to the scar on her face that must have meant the situation was extremely painful. Lou, feeling horrible for making Spencer feel horrible, walked up to the genius with a sad smile on her face.

She had no right to judge his pain.

"Some scars hurt more than others." Spencer held back the gasp when her hand rested right over his _heart_, as if she was healing the wounds with her touch.

"I'm sorry for assuming." Lou meant every word. "You tell me everything when you're ready."

It was a release within Spencer. He didn't have to keep anything from Ellie any longer. He couldn't help the smile on his face as he looked at her. She held her gaze, giving him the relief he needed. Spencer was in awe of how Lou could make him so happy, wondering how someone could understand him so well. He never had someone who just _got_ him, and Elena was the first person to accept him on a level where no one could reach, except for her. The euphoria within him was so great, he felt an urge that was odd to him. He couldn't help but stare at her lips. Her pink, uneven lips that were too big for her small mouth. Yet he couldn't deviate from the feeling of leaning towards her, meeting her lips with his own.

Spencer paused for a moment, realizing for the first time, he wanted to _kiss_ Ellie.

The moment was ruined at the sound of insistent barking coming from the vehicle behind her. Spencer looked to find the dog was eagerly trying to escape the vehicle.

"Oh, I forgot to introduce you both." Ellie opened the passenger door, rolling down the back window in order to give the German Sheppard/Siberian Husky a window to poke his head out.

"Spencer, meet Dexter."

Reid was attempting to place his palm out towards the dog, but was met with a vicious row of barking.

"He doesn't like me very much."

"He just has to get to know you, that's all." Lou gave him a scratch behind Dexter's ears, instantly calming the animal down.

"It's very odd that he has clung to you. Typically, most dogs are resentful of their new owners, as they are uncomfortable in their new surroundings."

"Well, Dexter here is not most dogs. He's an Army veteran."

Spencer was surprised. "Which concerns me even more that Dexter's attached so quickly to you."

"Can you disconnect yourself from your brain for a millisecond and just see how adorable he is?"

He opened his mouth to respond, but Elena beat him to the punch. "And please do not make a comment about how it is physically impossible to change a mindset within a millisecond. I am a scholar of English; we sometimes rely on satire, and irony, and figures of speech to enjoy the time we spend on this earth."

"…I was just going to say that he _is_ a cute dog."

Ellie bit her lip. "Sorry."

Spencer intended to respond, but the shrilling of his cellphone caused him to halt on his thoughts. Reid pulled out the small device, seeing '_Aaron Hotchner_' on the screen. The look of fear made Lou take his cellphone out of his hand for a moment, seeing the screen.

"You know you're going to get into trouble if you keep avoiding work."

"I know," he mumbled. "It's just… you make me think irrationally."

Lou ignored how that comment made her _heart _flutter before answering the phone call.

"Agent Hotchner?"

The voice was startled on the other line. "_Lou?_"

Lou didn't let Aaron speak. "While I completely understand every repercussion that you choose to enforce on Spencer, I would just like to point out that he needed to apologize for his actions A.S.A.P, which required a face to face meeting, which required a long drive to Arlington, which, in turn, caused him to be late to work. But I can assure you this is the last time Spencer will avoid his responsibilities for the BAU, because if he doesn't, not only will he suffer at the hands of you and the FBI, I will make it my personal mission to make sure that I am not a distraction to the doctor. I apologize on behalf of his unprofessionalism, and if you give me thirty minutes, I'll make sure Spencer's butt is glued to his desk for the rest of the day."

She waited half a minute for his response.

"_Thank you, Professor._"

"Not a professor anymore, Agent Hotchner. But you're welcome."

Ending the conversation, she handed the phone back to an awestruck Spencer.

"What?" Lou asked.

Spencer looked at her, knowing that Lou had no idea how special she was. He couldn't process every piece of information in time to express how special she was, because there were too many variables to consider. She was smart. She was funny. She was strong, and stern, and did not care for titles. She treated everyone equally, and with respect. She was anxious, but with that anxiety came caution, and wisdom. She was organized by a disorder, but that structure built a solid foundation for her life, which she carried out every day. But most of all, she was caring. What Spencer loved more was that she cared about _him_.

No wonder he thought irrationally around her. He could barely _think_ around her, much less do it properly.

"What?" Lou insisted, a hint of laughter in her tone.

He gave a lop-sided grin to Ellie. There were no words to describe the shift in his view of Elena. Spencer wanted to touch her (he wanted to do more, actually), to physically have that comfort. Yet he thought he should take a bigger step than holding her hand. He raised his hand towards her face before pulling back slightly in hesitation. Lou knew exactly what Spencer was trying to do as she froze in fear.

He wanted to see the scar.

She didn't say anything, but she nodded, giving him confirmation to follow through with his actions. Spencer took a moment before pushing her hair off to the side, being exposed to the mark. _Three inches in length. Sharp, clean lines, most likely from a blade. Scar tissue looks to be ten to fifteen years old._ Spencer could see Ellie tremble, and he noticed her finger in the repeated motion (_one, two, three_). Without thinking, Spencer placed his hand on the side of her face. Her skin had sent a jolt through him, being able to cradle her head. His thumb automatically soothed her, and he saw her hand relax. Relief washed over him, knowing he was able to give Elena a bit of solace; to pay for his actions the previous night. His smile was now small as Lou's glossy eyes met his, Spencer intending on giving more support to her.

"You don't have to tell me what happened." Spencer confessed to her, watching as her expression was shocked.

Lou couldn't believe what he was saying.

"Spencer-"

"Some scars hurt more than others."

Spencer didn't have enough time to register Lou throwing her arms around his neck. He had to lean down considerably to hug her back, but he would have hunched over for the rest of his life if that meant he got to hold Ellie every day. His arms found her waist as he squeezed tightly. Why was Spencer afraid of physically contact? If he knew how wonderful it was to hold another human the way he held Ellie, then he would have done it ages ago. Having contact with his teammates was different than holding Elena. She slowed his mind down. She brought him out of his frantic state. She made him feel _normal_, even though she was the most flawlessly abnormal person he'd ever known.

"I'll tell you," she mumbled against his skin.

He pulled away, confused.

She nodded. "One day, I will tell you."

"Ellie-"

"That's a promise, Spencer." He noticed she held out her hand, her little finger the only digit predominate. His eyebrows furrowed at the action, and Elena couldn't help but laugh at his confusion.

"It's a pinky promise, Spencer."

"Why does 'pinky' and 'promise' have any significance?"

"It's supposed to represent an unbreakable vow between two individuals."

Spencer blinked. Did Ellie really mean for it to be that serious?

"Well, it's usually performed by children, but I've never broken a pinky promise in my life, and I won't start anytime soon." She held the finger in front of his face, waving it around in a teasing motion. "Come on, Doctor Reid, this promise might fade away…"

Meekly, Spencer brought his hand towards hers, closing his fingers and allowing his last finger to reach out and hook with Ellie's pinky finger. The two individuals never understood how physical contact with one another always caused some sort of current rushing through them. Ellie had never felt something like this, and neither had Spencer. What was it that made every nerve on their body heighten with sensitivity? Spencer thought it was the chemicals in his brain reacting with one another, causing his hyperawareness. Ellie thought it was some underlying energy within them, as somehow they shared the same type. Whatever it was, the act of physical contact between the two left Elena and Spencer in a blissful state.

Suddenly, Elena's eyes widened.

"Oh! Damn!" She pulled away. "Did you take the public transportation?"

"Yes…"

"You're going to be late for work!" She ran out of his embrace, frantically running to the other side of the car, Dexter's head lolling out of the window. "Well, I mean you're late, but you're going to be _late _late, and I don't want Hotch hating you more, or me as well, by default."

"Ellie?" Spencer was still confused.

She huffed, resting her arm on top of the Impala.

"Spencer, do I have to spell it out? I can get you to work quicker than any bus, so please get your delicious butt in the car."

Lou, rolling her eyes, sat in the driver's seat as she turned on the car. Spencer, who heard every word of her previous statement, turned beet red at the choice of her vernacular. Lou, unaware of what she just said, turned to face Spencer as she was confused. He met her eyes, to which Spencer nervously tucked his hair behind his ear.

"You… called my butt 'delicious'."

Lou's eyebrows shot up as a shy smile crept on her face. She didn't deviate from looking out the windshield, the blush evident on the tips of her cheekbones.

"If it means anything, it's… not a _lie_."

* * *

><p><em><strong>See? No cliffhanger! I'm too generous for my own good.<strong>_

_**Favourite? Follow? Review?**_

_**xoxo N.**_

* * *

><p><em>Next Time: "This is Mateo Cruz, BAU Section Chief of the FBI. Is this Professor Elena Richardson?"<em>


	14. Quatorze

**_Hey Everyone!_**

**_Cheer for the update! Yay!_**

**_So, I'm in the middle of my exam season, but realistically speaking I'll manage a few hours to write this fic because I am obsessed with Lou/Spencer at this moment. Hopefully I can get all my thoughts out before I combust._**

**_By the way, 115 favourites? Are you kidding me? This is blowing my mind. Oh, wait, my brain just exploded because there's 186 of you following this story and I am FREAKING OUT BECAUSE YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST._**

**_BUT, Special-Special thanks go to my lovely reviewers:_**

_19irene96__ (Hello my new friend!), __fisktrek__ (Thanks love!), __Dalonega Noquisi__ (Don't ever forget that I feel Ellie and Spencer are the same brain with different personalities, and I love mixed breeds too!), __Sue1313__ (Dexter is definitely not a fan of Spencer, LOL), __MsRose91,__ (You'll love this week's sneak peek too!), __Rivermoon1970__ (I'll admit that Dexter will feel "The Reid Effect" for a bit, but no one can resist the doctor!), __TazzieLuv13__ (Am I no longer a padawon?), __MiaR__ ("delicious butt" is going to come up again!), __Morbidmuch__ (I stress over Spencer's personality so thank you for saying that! AND THANK YOU FOR THINKING THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST CM FANFICS YOU'RE A STAR), __Nelle07__ (Yes, I'm pretty sure Penelope is rubbing off on Lou… By the way, it's nice seeing a familiar face!), __Love-Fandom03__ (Well you're perfect for thinking the story is perfect), __Marisol Akyri__ (Really? Please let me know if Reid is deviating from his personality, I want to make this story as authentic as I can! Love the nickname for the two!), __CalamityBangs__ (Right? I love them together), __**and **__Aya Ayame__ (Give me long reviews! I crave them greatly! Thank you very much!) **because you guys always give me amazing feedback that helps me write this story. As much as I love this story (and I write because I love writing), I'm writing it for you all, so I can share my creativity with you.**_

_**I hope you all enjoy my work!**_

_**P.S. I have no ownership over Criminal Minds.**_

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><p>David's eyes didn't leave his manuscript as he listened to Reid's quiet voice while he was on the plane's phone. The team was on the plane, flying back from Colorado in the early morning, after a brutal three days spent trying to find an unsub who decapitated his victims. Kate took the couch, sleeping soundly (and opposite of Morgan who was jamming out to his music), while JJ and Hotch were playing a quick game of checkers. Rossi knew he shouldn't be snooping in on Reid's conversation, but it was interesting to listen to the way he spoke to a <em>certain someone<em>. Dave knew when Reid was speaking to Lou as his tone was gentler, with a hint of unabashed happiness. They spoke of that time-travelling doctor they were both fond of, as well as having a small debate on the aesthetics of _Don Quixote_ and the chivalric code. Rossi took a moment to realize he was eavesdropping (the kid _was_ sitting across from him), until Spencer's tone changed.

"…Do you really think so? I've never considered my butt in that terms."

Dave was now completely interested in the conversation.

"I don't think body parts can be referred to as such." He mumbled with a smile.

Rossi couldn't keep his eyebrows from reaching his hairline. Reid was _flirting_. Or, what was his definition of flirting. He watched Spencer's smile widen, listening to the other side of the line speak. A chuckle erupted from the doctor, and Rossi hid his smile as he looked at the pages of his lap. He was happy for the kid, now that he found someone that could understand him, but also accepting him for his abnormal nature.

"How was the interview?" Reid asked suddenly.

The Italian noticed that JJ and Hotch, who were sitting in the seats behind Spencer, were now listening to Spencer's conversation as well. They all knew who he was speaking to, so when he mentioned the word '_interview_', it meant that it was good news.

"Well, considering the fact it's late in the school year, I understand why they're waiting so long."

The genius furrowed his eyebrows at the person speaking. "Ellie, your credentials are outstanding. They wouldn't have contacted you if they didn't want you to teach."

Spencer listened for a moment more before saying his goodbye. "I'll be another hour on the plane… Coffee sounds nice… Okay… Okay, I'll tell him… Okay… _No,_ the fourth Doctor is the best… Tell Caroline I said 'Hello'… Okay… Yes, Ellie, I will tell him… Bye."

Reid noticed that Rossi was listening to his entire conversation.

"What?" The genius asked.

Dave placed his manuscript on the table. "How long have you known Lou now? Couple of weeks?"

"Thirty-seven days."

"So, you guys are _close_."

Reid figured out what he was insinuating, but he tried to play it off, shrugging. "We've spent some time together, so… yeah, I'd say we're friends."

He heard JJ snort from behind him, and Rossi's voice stopped Reid from turning around to say something.

"Spencer." He knew that Dave was being serious if he was called by his first name. "I am the last person to be giving you advice, so let my mistakes guide you in the right path. Don't put a label on it until you're sure you know what it is."

Confused, Spencer looked at his friend. "What context are you referring to, exactly?"

Rossi smiled. "_Giovane amour_."

_Giovane. Italian word for "young". Amour. Italian word for-_

Fear shot up Spencer's spine as he struggled to keep his face from turning red. It was difficult for Spencer to think about the "L" word. Every time he thought of her, euphoria washed over him. He felt safe being around Elena, enjoying his days off mostly with her. One time, they spent the entire morning scavenging through an old bookstore. Another afternoon consisted of binge-watching Hitchcock movies while critiquing them simultaneously. When Reid called Lou at midnight after a bad case, and the two geniuses stayed together at Spencer's house until the sun rose, saying absolutely nothing as they held each other's hand.

Realistically, in the back of his mind, he knew Elena was more than a friend. She made him feel like he wasn't different. He loved his friends, but Spencer could see how he missed half of the jokes they made, and the references to common knowledge that flew over his head, _and_ (mostly) the social cues that Spencer spectacularly overlooked. With Ellie, that didn't happen. Her humour was something he could easily understand. If Lou made an allusion that he didn't comprehend, she explained it thoroughly and in-depth. Elena began to teach him about social norms, and common signals which would prompt a response. The best part was that she did it in a way that didn't discourage Spencer.

If she did that, then she _had_ to be more than a friend.

Rossi saw the sudden realization that came over Spencer as Dave laughed, leaning back in his seat.

"Like I said, don't put a label on it."

Spencer, clearing his throat, looked at Rossi. "Um, since we're on the topic… Ellie asked me to tell you a riddle."

Rossi held his hands out, indicating to Spencer to continue.

"What's black, white, and red all over?"

Dave thought it odd that Lou would pick that specific riddle. "A newspaper."

"No, your manuscript."

The man sitting across from Spencer now carried a horrid fear, as well as the sudden realization that he might have made a mistake when giving the new story to Lou. JJ couldn't help the laugh that escaped her as Hotch chuckled before going back to the game.

Spencer smirked, settling in his seat. "I could pick it up for you."

"How about I take you there myself," Rossi suggested. "That way, I know it's not actually you giving me criticism."

"You gave free reign to a professor of literature that edits published works for sport. There wouldn't be enough room for my input."

"Is it covered in pink?"

"Some of it is. Her pen ran out after the second page."

Rossi's eyes trailed the roof of the plane.

"_Questa donna mi ucciderà._"

[ + ]

"Can you stop working on Rosie? It's _freezing_."

Elena ignored her as she was working over the hood of her baby. It was three weeks without a proper tune-up for her car, and Lou felt like she was neglecting her child. Granted, she forgot about Rosie in substitution for Spencer. The two individuals were lucky, as Spencer spent more time at Quantico than in the field, allowing Reid and Lou to enjoy each other's company more. Dexter drew up a problem, as the dog was still uncomfortable with Spencer. Avoiding her home, the two would enjoy a lovely walk, or a chess game at the park, or a drive around the city. Lou liked spending her time with Spencer, speaking of more literature that Spencer should read, as well as the sociological papers he gave Ellie.

She couldn't fathom how he made her feel. It was forty different emotions all intertwining, not allowing Lou to figure them all out. She was excited when he called her, but calm when he spoke to her. She was bittersweet when he left for work, but eager for him to come back. She enjoyed how he knew everything about everything; how Spencer could scientifically explain the discolouration of tree bark based off of the surrounding influences, or the chemical compound in different alcohols, or how detailed he explained the Boston Tea Party from 1767 to 1773. But what she valued most was the emotion she felt every time his hand found hers. She couldn't pinpoint the exact feeling, but Lou knew one thing.

Spencer made her happy.

"Every child needs tender, loving care." Lou mumbled as she grabbed a wrench, turning it (_one, two, three_).

"Which is why you should think of Dexter." Caroline, sporting a pixie cut, referred to the dog that was loyally sleeping at Lou's feet, bundled in his own coat.

"He's got a jacket. And fur."

"But the wind is a bit chilly."

"He's part husky. They love the cold."

"For fuck's sake, Lou." The redhead crossed her arms in her large parka. "You're a cheeky bitch."

"I had no idea honesty resulted in sassiness."

"See? That right there proves you are a dry desert of wit."

Lou pulled her head from underneath the hood. "Could you explain to me _why_ you're hanging around? Besides being pessimistic."

Linnie shrugged, walking around aimlessly. "No particular reason besides, you know, seeing my best friend."

That was the moment Elena took a second to glance at her best friend. Linnie only lingered around if there was an ulterior motive, as Caroline was concerned with more of the quality time spent together, rather than the quantity of that time spent together. Lou ran through Caroline's actions the entire morning. Breakfast was enjoyable, tea was average, and a morning walk was normal for Caroline and Lou. She received only a few texts, but Linnie answered her phone early in the morning, leaving the room to speak to someone. It was odd for Caroline to do such actions, unless it regarded work (Caroline was a technical analyst for a law firm), _or_ she was keeping a secret from Lou. This phone call only happened after Lou told Caroline that she had a friend coming over.

Like pieces to a puzzle, Lou got the whole picture.

"What did my mother tell you?"

Caroline shrugged, attempting to hide her motive. "I'm not following you, Lou."

Lou stared at her friend. "Really? You and my mother talk more than I do with her. And knowing the fact that you are a master at manipulation, she told you everything."

Linnie bit her lip before she exploded. "Okay, fine, I made her tell me everything because… Well shit, Lou, you're seeing someone?!"

"Here we go…" Elena mumbled.

"I can't believe that you found a dork, and a dork that is drop dead gorgeous with like nine Ph.D.'s, which _of course_ you'd find a genius to spend all your time with. Not only is he brilliant, he's an FBI agent. Oh, _and _he carries a fucking _gun_. Smart, hot, and a badass? Jesus H. Christ, how the fuck could you keep this from me? Were you two flirting while psycho bitch was on a rampage? Ooh, Lou, you rebel. Having a secret boyfriend…" Caroline mimicked wiping a tear away. "My baby's growing up."

"He's not my boyfriend," Lou said sternly, shutting the hood of her car.

"So your lover?"

"Linnie-"

"Please don't tell me you haven't hit that ass." Caroline challenged as they were walking back into her home, Dexter trailing behind the two.

Lou pushed her door open. "No. He's my-"

Caroline managed to grab Lou's mouth with her fingers. "Oh no, you're not calling him your friend. You have literally spent every possible second being with him. You don't make that initiative with me and _I'm_ your best friend."

"So, what do I call him?" Lou managed to say through the side of the clamp Caroline made with her hand.

"Uh… Your fuck buddy?"

"Caroline!" Lou jumped out of her grasp, walking into her home as her face was turning red from embarrassment. "You have some nerve!"

"_What_. I know you're not a virgin." Caroline shut the door behind her. "Did your photographic memory forget about Noah?"

"Please do not talk about him."

"Okay fine, Douchebag McGee is off the table. So what's wrong with… Spencer?"

Elena rolled her eyes, not surprised Caroline didn't know his name. "We don't really have that relationship."

The redhead snapped her fingers, pointing at Lou. "But you _want_ to. Don't you lie to me, Lou. I can see it on your face."

Before Lou could respond, Dexter began barking unrelentingly. Lou knew that someone was on her property as she made her way towards the front door, peeking out of the side curtain. The butterflies grew in her stomach as she saw the long brown coat with the purple scarf. She also saw her favourite author along with Spencer, which got Lou even more excited. Caroline came up right beside her, watching as the two gentlemen examine Lou's car.

"_Wow_, he is gorgeous, even without the bulletproof vest."

"He is quite good looking. " Lou mentioned absentmindedly as she stared at Spencer. Caroline picked up on Lou's actions, looking at her friend in shock. This was different than any other man who walked through Lou's life. The brunette/pink-haired woman was never as emotionally invested as she was until Spencer came into her life. Caroline could see the subtle changes because of the doctor. For one, Lou wouldn't follow routine as much as she usually did (evident when Caroline found out her best friend adopted a _dog_). Second, Caroline noticed the three remotes that were constantly on the table were strewn throughout the living room. But what sealed the deal was how Linnie hadn't seen Lou wring her hands together in over two weeks.

_This is real._

"You are falling _hard_."

"What?" Her friend asked, confused.

"Let me put it this way, Dorothy." Caroline opened the front door. "You're not in Kansas anymore."

With a shove, Lou was on the other side of the door with force, Caroline right behind her. Lou gave a wave to Spencer, to which he waved back. Linnie, on the other hand, was always an exuberant human being, and meek greetings were not her style.

"Hello Doctor! Hi Agent!" Caroline was practically skipping towards the two. "Thanks for saving my life again."

"We're just doing our jobs." Spencer said, giving a quick glance towards Lou.

"Agent Rossi," Lou addressed the author. "What brings you to my home?"

"Reid needed a ride, but also says you have my annotated story ready."

Lou nodded, biting her lip. "I… might have gone a little… overboard. Excuse me."

"Oh, no, I'll get it." Caroline offered, already walking towards the house. "I was on my way out anyways."

"It's on the table." Lou shouted.

Dave looked at the young woman. "So, what did you think of the first draft?"

Elena shrugged. "I quite enjoyed the profile on the taxidermist unsub, as well as the Zodiac copycat. The content is fantastic, but I'm sure your editor has a hernia when editing because the amount of times you used a passive voice is astounding."

Rossi felt the dread creep, realizing that there was a female version of Reid existing in the world.

"Here you are," Caroline handed the stack of paper towards Rossi. David noticed instantly that the paper _used_ to be white, as the first page was assaulted with pink. Flipping to the next page, he saw the half that began in red and continued on through each page.

"I think I'll just… re-write everything."

"Sorry," Lou said, watching Rossi walk away.

"By the way." Dave called out, standing beside the black car. "Nice ride."

She couldn't keep the grin off of her face, proud of her car. "Thanks David!"

Elena was oblivious to the other two individuals who were looking at one another. She could tell Spencer was on the defensive, while Caroline was practically worshipping him with her eyes. Lou all but pulled Caroline away from Spencer, indicating for her best friend to leave. Caroline tried to get a word out, but Elena knew to get Linnie out before she opened her mouth and destroyed any semblance of self-respect.

"Get home safe Linnie." Lou said, shoving her best friend towards her car.

"Easy there, Rocky. You almost pushed me to my death."

"If only," she mumbled, which Spencer smiled as they waved goodbye to the invasive redhead. They watched as Caroline got into her car before facing each other. Lou let an exasperated gasp escape her lips, and Reid picked up on her distress.

"You okay?" He asked, looking at her.

She nodded. "I'm okay. Sometimes Caroline can be… a bit much."

"Is there anything I could do?"

Lou smiled, nodding. "If you could spend the majority of the day with me that would be lovely."

Without asking (Lou was getting comfortable with not asking permission), she held Spencer's hand, pulling him into the home. She could feel Spencer's hesitance as Dexter was still weary of the doctor. While the dog no longer barked at him, Dexter was still on guard, watching his every move as Spencer walked into Elena's home for the first time. Reid saw the white and black dog sitting in a very plush bed, staring at his every move as Spencer hung up his coat and scarf.

Ignoring the soldier, Reid looked at the yellow walls. Oddly enough, there were no books in the main room (aside from the two sitting on the end table). There was an old typewriter sitting in the china cabinet, as well as photos of a young Elena, along with her parents, grandparents, and Caroline. He saw the shelves were filled with movies and television shows (he slightly freaked out seeing every series of _Doctor Who_). There were sets of teacups and saucers on display, several of them were from France based on the design.

"Spencer." She called out from the kitchen, which Spencer followed the sound of her voice.

"Yes Ellie?"

Lou stood in front of the kettle, one hand on the counter, and another on her hip.

"Do you know what happened to my scarf?"

Spencer kept his face neutral.

"I'm sorry?"

"My scarf." Elena motioned a hand towards her chest. "You know, the beige pashmina that I was wearing on Halloween? Last time I wore it was at your place."

"I remember, but I'm sure you were wearing it."

Lou thought about it for a moment before shrugging. "I need to keep better track of my things."

Elena _was_ keeping track of her things, as Lou was right about her scarf. The beige pashmina wasn't lost in the back of some closet, or the bottom of a box. The scarf was actually sitting in his go bag, right next to _The Narrative of John Smith_. He should have told Elena exactly where the item was, but something inside of him couldn't get rid of the piece of Elena he had. No matter where he went, he still kept the connection to her, and to Spencer, he was bringing a part of home with him wherever he went.

_Not that I think of home when I think of Elena_, Spencer lied to himself.

"So, Howard University." He mentioned, sitting at the kitchen bar.

"They're hiring me for the next term." Lou watched the coffee pot boil. "Which means I have around ten months until I'm a professor again."

Spencer picked up on her sadness. "To me, you're still a professor."

Lou smiled. "Really?" She poured the hot water for her tea, as well as Spencer's coffee into the separate mugs. "You think I'm still teaching?"

"Well, you're teaching me."

She couldn't help but laugh as she walked around, sitting beside Spencer on the other bar stool. "Okay, I guess you count. So, have you been a good student and reading the required texts?"

"Early nineteen hundreds only, like you said." Spencer went into his bag, pulling out a small stack of novels that Elena offered.

"_Tarzan!_" Lou cried in delight, taking the book from him. "Oh, I see Fitzgerald in there."

"I'm also quite fond of Virginia Woolf and her feminist ideals."

"_Mrs. Dalloway_ is my favourite."

Spencer agreed, "_To the Lighthouse_ is quite interesting as well."

"Any Hemingway?" Lou asked, hopefully.

"Just _A Farewell to Arms_." Spencer mentioned. "But _The Maltese Falcon_ was a favourite."

"Of course, a detective novel is the one that catches your eye." Lou smirked into her cup.

"If we're relating it to our psychosis, it's possible to find comfort in routine, especially in our own escape such as literature. It's not an uneducated guess if I find a connection with novels that carry similarities to my profession."

"Okay, if we're thinking on that notion," Lou wrapped her hands around the mug. "What would be my favourite novel?"

Spencer smirked. "I already know your favourite novel."

"How?"

"Well, I noticed several things. One, your voicemail. Two, your father's identification on your phone. Three, the name you have for Caroline. Four, the password Caroline used to unlock her cellphone-"

"Okay, okay," Ellie put her hand up in defense. "Maybe I'm not such a good example."

While Elena was giving a playful appearance, she was melting on the inside. While she could have blamed it on his profiling capabilities (and his eidetic memory), she chose to believe that Spencer just _knew_ things about her without her saying a word. It warmed her to know that he cared about her little details. He was special to her, and Lou wanted to keep him in her life for as long as she could. She thought back to Caroline's words, remembering how her best friend kept reminding her that Spencer couldn't possibly just be friends with her. They were comfortable with one another, and Elena picked up on how their hands intertwined on instinct (Lou checked in that moment, and sure enough, his fingers were interlocked with hers). She cared about him, and he evidently cared about her, too.

Maybe he was, indeed, more than a friend.

Her phone began ringing, causing Lou to pull away from Spencer as she walked towards the pink object. She was startled when she saw the name of the caller. She turned to Spencer, holding the phone out.

"The FBI is calling me."

Spencer's eyebrows furrowed as he walked around the bar, meeting Elena in the middle of her kitchen as she answered the call.

"Pr- Hello?"

"_This is Mateo Cruz, BAU Section Chief of the FBI. Is this Professor Elena Richardson_?"

Her startled eyes met Spencer's.

"Yes, this is she."

"_I've been made aware of your involvement with one of our cases a few weeks back_."

"Oh, yes, the consult." She tried giving Spencer as many clues as she could without being obvious.

"_I'm also aware that had you not been involved with the case, it would not have progressed as quickly as it did_."

"It was just a few educated guesses, and background knowledge on the unsub, sir."

Lou heard a chuckle. "_Speaking like an agent already._"

"I'm sorry?"

"_Normally, section chiefs don't make calls like this, but you're regarded as one of the most intelligent consultants that the FBI has ever worked with by several of my top agents._"

"Calls, like this?" Lou couldn't catch on to what Mateo Cruz was talking about.

"_My agents have told me you are a dedicated professor. But I'd like to take this opportunity to give you a formal invitation to be a registered consultant for the FBI._"

The phone slightly slipped from her grasp.

"_It would be a part-time position to best fit your needs. The BAU requires someone with your intelligence in the Sociology field of study to assist us with determining the severity of each cases, and giving us a further insight on the social standing of the unsubs to assist with the profiles_."

"Wow," was all Lou could say.

"What's happening?" Spencer whispered, and Ellie shook her head, holding up a finger.

"I specialize in deviant behaviours. I could see how I can help, but I'm sure there are much more qualified people for this position."

"_Most people aren't recommended among several top agents._"

Lou realized Spencer's team must have been behind the offer.

"Can I have some time to think about this?"

"_Of course. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to call the Bureau._"

"I will. Thank you so much Chief Cruz." Spencer's jaw dropped slightly.

"_You have a good day, ma'am_."

"You as well."

Lou placed the phone on the counter, Reid's concerned eyes following her every move.

"Why was Chief Cruz calling you?"

Elena crossed her arms as she leaned against the counter top. "He… offered me a consulting job."

Spencer wasn't expecting that.

"Work with the FBI?"

It would open chances for Elena if she began working for a government agency. Better recommendations, better benefits, and a better job within the next nine months than any other opportunity. But Spencer focused on the fact that Ellie would be working in the same building as he would, placing her in a position where he'd be able to see her every once in a while when he wasn't working on a case, being able to have coffee and tea with her on a regular basis…

It was a _dream_.

But that's all it could ever be. If she began working for the FBI, they wouldn't be able to be as close as he would want.

"Are you thinking about it?"

She shook her head, and Spencer's stomach dropped for a moment.

"Maybe, I guess." _Thank God. _"But I'm just thinking of how I'm going to explain to my father that I'm possibly working for the FBI."

Horror ran through Spencer, realizing that if Elena took the job, there would be another reason for Ambassador Charles Richardson to despise the good doctor.

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><p><em><strong>Translation for Rossi: "This woman will kill me."<strong>_

_**Leave a Review? Favourite? Follow?**_

_**xoxo N.**_

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><p><em>Next Time: "We have to be just friends." "No, we don't."<em>


	15. Quinze

_**Hey Everyone!**_

_**So I'm casually sitting here, freaking out over how there is almost 200 people reading this story, and in such a short time frame that I just wanted to thank you all for loving this story. You guys are what drives me to keep writing.**_

_**Thank you to my lovely reviewers as well: **__Sue1313 _(Spencer's just afraid of Ellie having to deal with the psychological turmoil that comes with the job! And I agree, he does have to stop lying to her. But I admit it won't be soon!), _Marisol Akyri_ (Do you really think Ellie would pull the forced friends card?), _Demona Evernight_ (You can try to send an unsub on me but I'm sure I'll know they're coming!), _KijoKuroi_ (I'm so glad I could bring joy to you on a miserable moment! It's what I live for! And THANK YOU FOR POINTING OUT THE CHAPTERS. They may or may not have significance in the story, but either way, I preferred the chapters to be in French!), _Dalonega Noquisi_ (I would hope that she would), _fishtrek_ (Thanks darling! Lou/David are one of my favourite scene to write), _TazzieLuv13_ (Understand I, Master), _MiaR_ (While I don't wish for death, I aim for complete angst of the unknown, and OMG I ship the Lou/David bromance so hard), _Love-Fandom03_ (love, love, love the positivity!), _Aya Ayame_ (You have every right to be nervous… My chapters can go anyway they want to… they have a mind of their own!), _Guest_ (there will be some lava spewing in a few chapters… and you'll know exactly who it comes from), **_and _**_Mom2AllisonandJames_ (I'm so glad you're loving my story! You won't be disappointed!).

**_I give my lovely readers a full chapter of fluff. You all deserve it._**

**_Enjoy!_**

**_P.S. CBS has full rights to Criminal Minds._**

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><p>"Hi Spencer."<p>

Lou felt like she was on cloud nine. The first heavy snow fall hit early; the same day that Spencer came home from his trip. Elena always loved December 1st. That was the day she spent trimming the tree while baking sugar cookies (not as good as her mothers, but they'll do). Lou wanted it to look like Christmas threw up in her house before Spencer got back the next day. He left two days prior, a few hours after Lou received the job offer from Chief Cruz. She was in the middle of struggling to get antlers on Dexter when her phone rang. She ran to her bedroom, listening to the theme song of their favourite television show. Spencer called her from Oklahoma City, as he was dealing with an unsub that was a highly functioning sociopath, so Lou knew he'd be busy. So to hear him calling made her _heart_ soar.

"_Hey Ellie_."

"I thought you were in the middle of the case." She sighed, holding the felt antlers in her hand as she stared at Dexter coming towards her, waging his tail while hanging his tongue out.

"_The case had an unexpected development_."

Lou held her breath, feeling the ache in her chest grow. _Please don't say it. Please come home soon. Please don't spend more time away._

"Oh?" Elena tried acting nonchalant, not letting her fear grow. She sat in the chair closest to her. "Is it a bad one?"

"_We're being asked to stay for a couple of days._"

She let her head fall back to the wall behind her, keeping her eyes closed in order to trap the few tears that tried to stray.

"_Ellie?_"

"Sorry," Lou cleared her throat. "You just caught me off guard. Do you know how long you'll be there?"

"_Not too sure, but no more than a week_."

_A week?_

"Well, you just get here soon, okay?" Dexter ran into the main room barking, and Lou wiped away the stray tear that escaped before listening to the doorbell ring. She walked across the floor of her home, making her way to the front door.

"_I will, Ellie. Hopefully sooner than you think_."

She smiled at his words. "Bye Spencer. Be safe."

"_I already am_."

That confused Ellie. Spencer was on a case, how could he be safe if he was in the middle of the case…?

The doorbell rang again, and somehow Elena knew exactly who was on the other side of her door. She hung up her phone, throwing it towards her couch (Lou heard the small object hit the floor, but she didn't care at the moment) before running towards the front door. Unlocking the deadbolt, she swung the door open. Her _heart_ was lifted from its glum state as she saw her favourite doctor standing on the other side of the threshold. "Spencer!" She squealed in delight, jumping on her _friend_, wrapping her arms around his neck. Spencer's hands dropped the items they held, holding Ellie in his arms. He lifted her (causing Ellie to dangle in the air), relaxing at her touch. He held him tighter, and Spencer smiled at the motion. He liked how Lou held him as snug as she could. Her hangs would linger over him all the time. She would touch his shoulder, ghosting over his arm, and sometimes wrap her hand in his (which was Spencer's favourite part). The only abnormality was he didn't shy away from her touch: he craved it.

Spencer was pulled away from his thoughts when the sound of Lou's sniffles reached his ear. He set her back on the ground, seeing the tears in the corners of her eyes.

"What did I do?"

Lou shook her head, dabbing at her eyes. "Nothing."

"It doesn't look like nothing." He held her wrists softly, pulling her hands away from her eyes. "Please tell me what's wrong."

She took a deep breath, staring at the door (Spencer's face was unfathomable at the moment).

"I thought you'd be gone for longer, so I was sad…"

A chip of Reid's _heart_ fell out as the broken centre lost another semblance of… the "L" word. Spencer couldn't stop himself from profiling her words. She told him she was distraught by the news he was going to miss another day, maybe two. That left Spencer to deduce _if_ (it was a big if) there was a continuance into their relationship that was more personal (like the dream he had the previous night), Ellie would spend more nights waiting for Spencer to come back.

He finally understood why Hotch always lingered over the picture of his son with a sad face. Why JJ stared out the window sometimes, rubbing her wedding band with a frown. It wasn't that they missed their families: it was coming to the sudden realization that their families missed them as well. With that knowledge came undeniable pain, something that had no wound, no physical pain, yet still _ached_ as if would consume them.

He didn't like how the thought of Ellie's pain stayed in his head.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize, Spencer." The bright smile was slowly growing back on her face, reaching out to hold his hand. "The thought was very sweet."

He tightened his grip, giving a guilty smile. "But I am sorry."

She rolled her eyes at him. "Apology accepted, Doctor."

Spencer took the time to search around her home, realizing the last time he was in there, the windows weren't trimmed with garland and lights, nor was the archways in her home littered with ornaments. The tree that was shining bright a few steps away from the front door was half-finished, only a handful of ornaments on the tree. Spencer saw the large box of silver and red ornaments sitting beside the large, green tree, ranging from bobbles to long icicles.

"I'm assuming Christmas is the second favourite holiday?"

"You guessed right, Spencer."

The bell on the stove rang out through the kitchen, and Ellie smiled at Spencer before letting go of his hand to check on the sugar cookies sitting in the oven. _Not Mama's perfection, but they're good enough_. She took the cookies out, placing them on the cooling tray before looking at her masterpiece. Although Lou was a horrible cook, she took comfort in the fact that she could bake wonderfully. She smirked at her accomplishment before looking back into the main room. A laugh escaped through her lips, her hand holding the chuckles back as she stared at what was in front of her.

Spencer was sitting on the couch, elbows on his knees as he looked at Dexter, who was sitting directly across from him, ears perked, back straight. Lou couldn't believe that Spencer was having a staring contest with her dog, both of them not moving an inch. She saw Spencer's eyes squint at Dexter, and Dexter tilted his head towards the doctor. Elena felt like she should intervene, but that was until Dexter stood from his position, hesitantly walking towards Spencer.

"Hold out your hand," she whispered towards Spencer as she leaned against the kitchen archway.

Reid followed Elena's instructions, giving his palm to the dog. Dexter took Spencer's scent, lingering on his hand for a moment. The entire time Spencer was nervous; he never got along with people, and dogs were a whole other level of bonding. Animals, in general, didn't like him, and easily picked up on his abnormality through their instincts. The good doctor watched as Dexter picked up on his scent before looking at him. Spencer didn't move as the soldier turned to the left, jumping on the couch before making himself comfortable beside Reid.

Spencer was shocked.

"He likes you." He turned to find Elena sitting beside him on the couch. He shook his head, looking at the white dog beside him.

"Research shows dogs are the only animals known to be capable of reading facial expressions. Keeping my face neutral allowed Dexter to not see me as a threat."

Lou smiled at Spencer. "Dogs also are hyperaware in their instincts. Dexter would have known instantly if you were malicious."

He gave a side glance to Elena. "You're trying to comfort me, aren't you?"

"Is it working?"

He shrugged. "Possibly."

"Good."

Spencer chuckled at her response, his hand reaching out towards Lou. She met him half way, their hands intertwining on the couch. Ellie was angled towards Spencer, and Spencer turned to face Elena on the couch, Dexter behind him resting peacefully. Elena sighed in content when Spencer's fingers began the _one, two, three_ pattern on her hand. She wasn't distressed, but it was calming to have his fingers sooth her from any and all worry. She allowed her head to fall against the back cushions, breathing deeply as she enjoyed Spencer's touch.

"I was reading Dickens on the plane." He mumbled to her, his eyes ghosting over her features. Just being in her presence overwhelmed him in every aspect. _She's so beautiful._

"Which one?" She asked, looking at his face as if he were to fade away at any moment. _He's so handsome._

"All of them."

Lou, lifting her head, stared at him. "That's five novellas, fifteen novels, and hundreds of short stories, including the non-fiction contributions, and you're telling me you read them _all_?"

Spencer made an innocent face, nodding. "Yeah. I asked Garcia to find everything Dickens published. I had an hour to spare."

She was trying to remember the last time she was speechless. _Yes, I do have an eidetic memory_, Lou reminded herself. Sixteen years was the last time Elena was left without words, and that unfortunate memory came when she heard her father reached Ambassador Status. Lou went to a boarding school (and she remembered the hell that was 'all-girls' as the suffix), and she knew of the strain it put on the few girls that had parents of the same rank. That left Lou without speaking for more than two weeks.

It didn't remotely reach her reaction to the Spencer's news.

"Elena?"

Lou was snapped out of her phase, wrinkling her nose. She felt annoyed when he didn't call her Ellie. _Not that I mind…_

"Sorry. I underestimated your ability. My mistake."

Spencer gave her a tight smile, not knowing how to react. He saw the same reaction so often, yet he didn't know what to say after. Elena's eyes squinted, picking up on his pause.

"Something like that can be taken as a compliment, Spencer. But if it wasn't me, I'd think it was a back-handed compliment."

He looked at her. "I didn't take it as one."

"I would hope so. But next time you catch someone off guard, which you will, remember that sarcasm is the best way to… for the lack of a better term 'break the ice'."

"Is responding to an unpleasant person with '_might not want to do it next time_' too pretentious?"

"Absolutely. But do it anyways."

Spencer chuckled at her response, twirling her hand in his. He always saw the comparison in their hands. His were much larger (which would make sense since he was a foot and nine inches taller than her), however they were alike in comparison. They both had long fingers, allowing Spencer to be able to get a better grip on her hand as he held her tightly. His fingers slowly trailed down her palm, wrapping around her small wrist. She was skin and bones, but she looked healthy (he knew she was by the amount of food she consumed was extremely above what she _should_ be having). His two fingers found her pulse, listening to the thrum of the beat under her skin. He didn't understand how he was concerned of the well-being of Lou, but lately he wanted to make sure she would be happy.

Ellie missing him didn't seem like a way to do so.

The last woman that tried to love him paid a price she shouldn't have. Maeve died _because_ of his love, and Spencer didn't want another woman to suffer the same fate. Especially Ellie, the one person who was just as passionate as he was about the things they were interesting in. Who listened to him talk for thirty minutes about the filming process in the 1960s, in painstaking detail, yet was still captivated by the knowledge. The one to understand what it was like to be the only person in the room, staring at other people laughing, and not knowing the reason why.

She understood him.

"Earth to Spencer." Lou was waving her hand in front of his face, trying to catch his attention. "What universe did you wander off to now?"

He smirked. "This one. I was just thinking of things."

"Good things, hopefully?" Her eyes were wide with concern, her fingers tracing random patterns on his forearm.

Spencer loved the feeling of her hand ghosting over his sensitive skin, but it didn't distract him when answering Ellie's question. "There is always bad within the good."

"Opposite forces that are interconnected and complimentary." Lou mumbled.

He nodded. "Yin and yang."

"Hm." Ellie was too distracted by touching Spencer. She seemed to be lost when she made contact with her favourite doctor. Lost, in the sense that she didn't know the exact thought to focus on. Lou would focus on his smile, how even in the saddest state she was pulled out of her misery by the flash of his pearly whites. She'd bounce towards his habit of rambling, which Elena enjoyed every second of his vast knowledge of everything being told to her at an unrecognizable pace. Then she'd focus on his quirky sense of humour, and how he struggled to understand some of the jokes he missed within Doctor Who before eventually deciphering what they meant, and _still_ finding them funny. There was so much more of Dr. Spencer Reid that Lou wanted to know, and she was excited to uncover more.

"Did you give an answer to Chief Cruz?" Spencer asked, propping his arm on the back of the couch, resting his head against his fist.

Lou sighed, standing up as she walked towards the half-finished Christmas tree.

"I did."

He held his breath. As much as he wanted her to work in the same building as him, he was afraid that she'd be assigned to his team. The thought of Ellie witnessing all the heinous crimes he did wasn't something he wanted. He was leading her down a dark path, one that would change her if she chose to walk it.

"And?"

She turned to him with a smile, holding onto a red ball.

"I said yes."

Reid's nightmare came alive.

"Cruz is placing me with the White Collar unit."

All the terror he was building up within him released at that moment. He was worried for no reason, now that he knew Ellie would be dealing with cases that wasn't remotely close to serial killers. He smiled, walking towards the Christmas tree with a more positive outlook. She'd be dealing with thieves, and con artists, and unsubs who did not kill other human beings based off of sadist tendencies or underlying trauma. More importantly, she would be safe from the horrors of his job.

It lifted the weight off of his shoulder by a bit.

"How did your father react?"

Lou's fingers automatically followed their typical rhythm. _One, two, three_. That tick made Spencer realized that she hadn't told her father yet, and wasn't going to any time soon. He diminished the thought immediately. "I see."

"I'll let him know eventually, but... not now."

"When do you start?" He asked, browsing through the box in front of him.

"I went in today to meet the team, but Monday is the official day."

"Two days," he clarified.

Lou nodded. "I'm enjoying my last few hours as unemployed liberally."

"Are you nervous?" He was playing with a star ornament.

Ellie took the item from his hand, placing it on the tree. "A bit. It's unfamiliar territory for me. I'm constantly surrounded by an educational environment, and now that I'm pulling myself from that environment does have me a little hesitant to be adaptable."

Spencer chuckled. "I'm sure you'll do great. You have to believe in your abilities and your knowledge."

"You're certain of this."

"I am. You are quite smart, Ellie."

She blushed furiously, secretly loving the compliment she received. "Thank you, Spencer."

Her smile did something to the doctor. He couldn't stop thinking about how her smile was perfect. But he also thought of how, one day, he'd ruin that smile somehow, either with his job, or just the way he'd act. _The Narrative of John Smith_ was beginning to wedge into his thoughts, acting like a beacon, warning him. He kept thinking of how his thoughts were warning him: "_look what could happen if you try again_". He was conflicted with himself, trying to decide what the best course of action with Elena was. Did continuing the relationship with Elena help, or hinder her morale?

"Elena," she was distracted from decorating the tree by Spencer calling out her name.

"I, uh. I have to tell you something."

"Alright." She was concerned, not liking her tone of voice.

He licked his lips, gathering his thoughts. "Lately, I've felt an… increase in the chemistry between us."

Lou was bashful in her response. "I've noticed it as well."

"And… I… don't think it's such a good idea, to _act_ on those… chemical imbalances."

Ellie was startled at his words.

"Could you please give me the sentence in the plainest form?"

He struggled with his words, not liking how _horrible_ he sounded.

"We have to be just friends."

What Spencer didn't expect was Ellie's snort of laughter.

"No, we don't."

Spencer opened his mouth to respond, but she wouldn't allow him to speak. "Need I remind you that I am a fully functioning human being, and I am capable of my own decisions. I don't have to listen to you assessment."

"But Ellie-"

"The reason you would doubt yourself is because you are concerned about my well-being. Yes, Spencer, I'm going to miss you. But I know that's only temporary, because you'll come back. The only person who should be worried about what makes me happy is myself. While I appreciate and adore you for thinking of me, I can't help but be firm with you and say, well, mind your own damn business. I can miss you if I want to."

She took his shocked reaction as genuine before walking up to him and holding his hand. "I like _this._ Holding your hand when I can. Taking every opportunity to touch you. Being close to you as much as possible. Is that the actions of a friend? Well, depends on your definition. But this is what I like, and if you're comfortable with what I like, then I'm not going to stop."

"My definition of a friend is different from yours," he told her softly.

Lou smiled at him. "Spencer, I don't see you as a friend."

"Oh." He took a moment to let that information sink in. "…What do you consider me as?"

She paused for a moment, shrugging. "I often refer to you-" Lou suddenly stopped her sentence, her face blushing immensely. She quickly realized her train of thought was embarrassing to speak out loud.

"What do you refer to me as?" He was curious, trying to decode any connotation.

Lou let go of Spencer to rub her hands together.

"You're… my Doctor."

Something odd surged through Spencer's chest. He could almost feel this energy molding the broken pieces of his _heart_ together bit by bit. He had no idea words could carry such significance to him, and yet she said three words that meant so much more. The emotion behind the sentence changed how Spencer thought. No matter what he considered Ellie to be, she was staying in his life (whether he chose to keep her there or not). Rossi's words echoed in his head, and resigned more with him than they had before.

"_Don't put a label on it until you're sure you know what it is_."

Spencer pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her shoulders. She fit perfectly in his arms, her head resting against his chest. He knew Ellie could hear the heavy beat of the shattered _heart_ in his chest, and he was embarrassed by the rushing of his blood. But the emotion faded when he felt her hold him tighter, her hands resting on his back, soothing over his skin. Spencer felt like he could sleep in that moment; the comfort radiating off of Elena drifted him to a different mindset. He never felt as calm as he did when he was holding Ellie. Instinctively, his lips found her head, dropping a kiss on her hairline. He felt Ellie's breath accelerate, and he thought she was uncomfortable until she sighed, snuggling to his chest.

He realized it was a foolish idea to think of pushing her away, even though every bone in his body was telling him to do so.

"You're a lovely distraction." She felt his laugh under her head.

He knew she was referring to the tree. "Would you like some help? Although I don't know if I'll be much assistance."

She smiled at him, shaking her head. "Don't worry, I'm a great teacher."

They spent the next twenty minutes hanging the ornaments on the pine tree sitting in Lou's home. She showed Spencer not to place too many baubles near one another, to even it out systematically (which Spencer picked up on the pattern easily, and Lou was amazed at his stylization of the tree). He was also back and forth in the kitchen, munching on a few of her cookies. She would have scolded him for sneaking pieces to Dexter, but Ellie knew that her doctor was trying to build a relationship with her pet. He took a moment to untangle the tinsel while spewing off facts about the cookies sitting on the pan.

"The modern incarnation of the sugar cookie originates from the mid seventeen hundreds in Nazareth, Pennsylvania. German Protestants created the cookie, being known as the Nazareth Sugar Cookie. They most likely derived from an earlier, unleavened cookie called a 'jumble', which is a biscuit that gained popularity in the seventeenth and eighteenth century in Europe due to the fact it could be dried and stored for many months."

Lou was fixing the broken stream of lights. "Is that considered the original sugar cookie?"

"It can be, but there are different versions. Italians use biscotti as their sugar cookie. Snickerdoodles are ones as well, with the difference being that they are made with white sugar and cinnamon, even chocolate chip can be considered a sugar cookie. It's just to emphasize the notion of Christmas."

"Huh. You learn something new every day."

Lou looked at Spencer, shaking her head in laughter at Spencer drowning in silver tinsel. "You look like a glamourous Yeti."

"I am working on my style." He gave a quick pose, to which Elena chuckled in laughter.

"Silver looks _fantastic_ on you."

"Although, it would look better with your hair colour." He threw the entire lot on Elena, drowning the professor in a blanket of silver. "Yup. The pink contrasts very well with the shimmer off of the tinsel."

"That's because it's closer to red." Lou dramatically flipped a part over her shoulder as if it were a sash. "I guess I can pull off Christmas better than you."

"There's no doubt in my mind."

The mood turned sour the second Spencer's phone rang out in the room. By the look on his face, Lou knew exactly what the reason for the phone call was. He wasn't even back an hour, and yet he had to scurry back to the BAU. The frustration steamed off of Spencer as he reluctantly went into his pocket to retrieve his phone. "Sorry," Spencer mumbled, looking at the screen. He exhaled harshly, answering the call before putting the device to his ear.

"Hey Garcia… How long have they been missing? …Okay, I'll be there soon."

"Missing people?" Lou took a guess as he hung up his phone.

"Missing children. Two sisters, ten and eight. Gone for three hours."

Elena could understand why Spencer was being called in. It was a serious case, and the sooner they found them, the better their chances at getting them back alive.

"There's no more time to waste, now is there?" She gave him a bittersweet smile, placing the tinsel back into the box. He mirrored her expression, feeling the dread in his chest grow as he walked to exit her home.

"Don't-" Spencer took a moment to collect his thoughts as he put on his jacket. "…Don't miss me too much."

Lou shook her head. "That's something I can't promise, Spencer."

"Then promise me that you'll occupy your mind as much as you can. I…" He took a deep breath, standing in front of the main door. "I don't like it when you're sad."

She could feel her stomach clench. _Spencer…_

He licked his lip as he hesitantly lifted his hand between them. Slowly, she saw his fingers close in, except for his little finger that was predominately sticking out. Lou met his eyes, feeling the emotion control her. How was it she stumbled upon someone who cared about her as greatly as he did? She smiled at him as wide as she could, meeting his pinky finger with her own. Interlocking their digits, Ellie stared at him.

"I promise to try," she whispered.

Spencer nodded. "That's good enough for me."

He opened the front door, timidly turning around to take one last glance at Lou.

"Bye Ellie."

Elena leaned against her door. "Goodbye Spencer. And good luck."

"Thanks." He kept turning behind him to look at her, and Lou gathered all the power she had to shut the front door. Being with Spencer was addictive, and Elena was very familiar with addiction. She knew how it could damage one's life. But Spencer on the other hand wasn't a drug. He was a cure, a type of medicine, some chemical that could rid her of all ailments. That was why she was stern at keeping her relationship with Spencer. She wasn't going to lose him over some ridiculous fear he had. Lou liked being with Spencer. She planned on spending a lot more of her time with him, and she didn't care of any repercussion she had to deal with. If that meant missing him for most of the days of the week, and worrying about him constantly, she would pay the price.

Spencer was worth it.

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><p><em><strong>Leave a review?<strong>_

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><p><em>Next Time: "You'll be working for the FBI over my dead body, Lou."<br>_


	16. Seize

**_Hey Everyone!_**

**_Okay, fuck, I feel bad not updating. The holidays is truly the busiest time of the year. BUT NOT TO FRET! I am ready to bring you all Lou/Spencer goodness (or Ellie/Spencer if you prefer that name)._**

**_139 FAVOURITES? 209 FOLLOWS? ARE YOU GUYS TRYING TO KILL ME? THANK YOU!_**

_**My heart goes out to my lovely reviewers: **Rivermoon1970_, _Dalonega Noquisi, Sue1313, Guest, Love-Fandom03, LilGreenearth97, MsRose91, pbarker1, sugabee14, ripon, Mom2AllisonandJames, Guest, MiaR, smilin steph, **and** Kalliope-Korinna-Klytaimnestia.** Thank you all for taking the time to review. I'm constantly re-reading my reviews when I'm discouraged, and knowing that there's so many of you faithful readers (and recurring reviewers) makes me do a happy dance!**_

_**BTW, just to give you guys a head's up: head to my tumblr (thesongswerforgottoplay). Usually, when I write a chapter, I write a rough outline. So, maybe, there's a VERY small possibility I might post a picture of a fragment of a sentence that is a sneak peek at chapters (I am at the TTML 20 outline... muahahha)**_

_**Anyways, Enjoy!**_

_**P.S. Criminal Minds is NOT mine.**_

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><p>"Susan and Mackenzie Troyer were taken just after their mother put them to bed."<p>

Reid scanned the small room. He noticed instantly that the two young girls were close. The small beds were pushed together. The drawings, both right-handed and left-handed, hung from the walls on either side. Different dolls were methodically placed around the room, but the two favourite stuffed animals from each girl were still on the bed, twisted in the blankets. The window was wide open. There was no indication of vegetation or soil, indicating the unsub must have known they would track evidence into the home. The girls were now missing a full nine hours, and Spencer was concerned for their wellbeing. While there was still enough time to find them alive, the sooner the two little girls were home, the better.

"The unsub didn't come through the bedroom."

JJ, being the other person in the room, looked at Reid.

"The window's wide open, Spence." She pointed outside to the Miami morning. "They're on the main floor, easy access."

Spencer saw the shelf underneath the window. "Look how each item on the surface is completely intact. Both girls maintain a clean environment, and have their own organized system for all their toys." He indicated to the cleaning chart pinned to the door. "If the unsub came through the window, something would be disturbed. There's not a spot out of place."

JJ nodded, completely agreeing with Reid's assessment. "So, where would the unsub come in from? There was no sign of forced entry."

Reid poked his head out of the room, looking out into the hallway. To his left was a set of doors leading to the master bedroom. To his right was an entry way into the laundry room. Reid, knowing that there was most likely a door in that room, walked to his right. Sure enough, the small space contained a door with a handle that was much lower for an average adult. He thought of every plausible reason to lower the doorknob, the most obvious one being that the girls would be able to open the back door on their own.

The doctor heard a noise, turning around to find the detective on the case.

"Did the girls often wander into the backyard unattended?" Reid asked, inspecting the door. _Still no forced entry_.

"Not really," Detective Kerf said as she inspected the room. "But the neighbour did mention he saw the girls opening the door for their dog on multiple occasions. They even took the pup out on walks around the block in the afternoon."

He finally made sense of the abnormal level of the handle, letting the clues link together. The girls had the responsibility of taking care of the dog, and often took it on walks around the neighbourhood. Walking the dog on a daily basis meant being easily accessible for any stalker to become friendly with the girls. He pushed past the detective, walking towards JJ, who was still in the pink bedroom.

"I think they knew the unsub."

Jennifer was stunned by his assessment. "Are you sure?"

"The back door isn't far from their bedroom, the line of sight from the living room is blocked, and the door handle is designed for the girls… They must have let the unsub in. It's the only plausible explanation using all the variables."

She was already pulling out her phone. "I'll tell Hotch. We'll be able to narrow it down based off of surrounding areas. Garcia can run a check on all known sex offenders in the area."

"Don't bother," Spencer looked around the room, seeing empty spots where toys looked as if they were missing. Two drawers were emptied, and he would bet a pair shoes were missing from each girls. "I don't think this is a pedophile abduction."

Jennifer saw the empty top shelves and the two spaces on the shoe rack to realize the unsub intended to keep them longer. "You don't take a lot of clothing if you don't care about them."

"He knew them for a long time." Spencer concluded, grabbing the toys twisted in the blanket. A small plush kangaroo: the other a koala. _Curious_, Reid took a second (most likely a _literal_ second) to analyze the idiosyncrasy of the stuffed animals. Pink walls, pop stars, dolls, make-up and glitter were a common theme to the young girls in their bedroom. But both having tropical animals as stuffed pets was an abnormality he couldn't figure out.

He had to do it quickly. They only had fifteen hours.

[ + ]

Antoinette Rosaline Richardson was one of the most regal women in Lou's eyes. She embodied strength, still with grace and elegance. Plus, Mama Rosie (often referred to by her Elena Lou from the second she could talk) was beautiful. Her mother was turning sixty, yet somehow looked forty (with the exception of the full head of silver hair piled on the top), and was still healthy as a horse. Sitting across from her mother in the high-scale tea room made her feel intimidated. She loved her mother dearly. But when she was in public, it was CEO Richardson, sitting in her highly expensive red skirt suit, dolled up, with the red-soled heels (_Of course)._

The worst part was, Lou was forced to look the same.

"Do I really have to wear this monkey suit?" The professor (Lou was internally smiling at the word because it was finally _true_ again) tugged at her black suit. It fit snuggly where she didn't want, but she was happy her mother didn't say anything about her hot pink dress shirt underneath (_Mother is wearing red after all_). Antoinette looked at her daughter, smirking as she took a sip of her tea.

"Yes. It looks good on you darling."

"That's what you say. You're not wearing something _this_ tight."

"Oh, hush Lou." Her mother set the tea down, leaning into the table. "We're celebrating. Act like it."

Elena was about to ask every God out there to save her from rolling her eyes before she had the willpower. "Mother, it's a job for Christ's sake."

"Elena Lou!" Antoinette was using her scolding tone.

_Lord, please save me from getting who__o__ped by my mother_.

"Sorry." Lou knew "_saying the Lord's name in vain_" had only one result. She knew it would always be terrible, no matter at what age. Especially with her Italian and French mother, with a heavy belief in Catholicism. "But I don't want to make a big deal out of it. I'm still going to teach."

"Yes, but you're also consulting for the FBI." Her mother held her tea in cheers, ignoring Lou's mistake. "Because you decided to help more people a different way. I'm proud of you, sweetheart. Always have been."

"Thanks Mama," Lou said, meeting her tea cup with hers.

"I do have one question, though," Antoinette mentioned after a moment. "You're not taking the job because of that young man?"

Her daughter almost spat out her tea.

"_What_?" Lou asked, astonished. "Surely, you're joking. You think I would choose such a thing as the deciding factor?"

Her mother gave Elena a look. "You don't see the perk of it?"

She blushed at Antoinette's words, realizing what she meant. Although, Lou didn't allow herself to trail off. She told her mother her motives. "You know how long I've been fascinated with the BAU, and you also know one of my favourite past times is discovering people through a systematic theory of educated guesses based on social standing, occupation, interests-"

"Alright. I understand." Mama Rosie peeked out for a moment. "Elena Lou, _qui __écoute sa cœur __toujours, t__rop passionné pour votre propre bien._"

"You were the one who told me to ignore my head when my _heart_ was trying to tell me something." Lou went to steal her sixteenth tea biscuit. She also knew her mother was counting as well.

"Darling," her mother had a tone. "You know you can talk to me if your_ cœur_ is trying to tell you something."

Elena put her hands in her lap, trying very hard to keep them from rubbing together.

"Is it?" Antoinette was now on to something. Rarely did Lou have affection for other men. She was picky, just like her mother. Lou could see a flaw through a man instantly, and if it was a deal breaker, she'd walk away in a moment (if she ever _talked _to a boy). The last man, however, wasn't worth the pain Lou went through, as she ignored all the warning signs. Antoinette began to realize that this man, who Lou thought in a second she met him, was worth her time. Who made her Elena Lou smile unbelievably, to an extent she'd never seen before. The man who made her stop wringing her hands to dust, and stowed away the nervous tap.

_My sweet girl. You're in love._

"Lou." Her mother persuaded her. Lou's blush riddled her entire face.

"He's… quite different, Mother. He's brilliant, more brilliant than anyone could _possibly_ be. There is no measurement to compare his mind to: it is too vast to even comprehend. He has the traits of a genius, which would lead him to be cold, and distant, and unpleasant. But he's quite the opposite." Lou tried hiding the smile that appeared (but Antoinette had eyes like a hawk). "Mama, he's wonderful, and thoughtful, and affectionate, and… a total nerd, which I never thought anyone could be as passionate as I am but good _Lord_ he's just as dedicated. When he talks about something, he knows everything about it. Because he loves information. He wants to know _everything_, and you don't find that in most people, taking the time to get educated on everything about a subject."

"So your friend is quite special to you?"

Antoinette saw Lou's teeth holding that bottom lip again, like always.

"_Is_ he your friend?"

Lou was about to answer, until she turned to see her father's form enter from across the room. Her _heart_ stopped, realizing that her father never interrupted tea with her mother unless it was a special occasion, or an emergency, _or_ (in this case was the current reason) her father was absolutely enraged at Lou as he realized she did something (he thought) was completely idiotic.

_He knows. _

_Who told him, if it's his BFF-_

Elena stopped, seeing the guilty look on her mother's face.

"Mother," Lou cried out.

"I thought you told him, darling." Antoinette knew her mistake would cause another heartbroken Lou. She was always stuck in the middle of Charles's and Elena's fights (but more like Charles manipulating his power over her daughter). She should have known better, that her sweet girl never got what she wanted unless she took it without consent. _It's better to seek forgiveness, than ask for permission, _Lou told her after she began to teach at UofR. Charles yelled at her for a good twenty minutes before not speaking to her for a year.

She didn't know how long Charles wouldn't speak to Lou now.

"Elena Richardson." Charles threatened with a low tone, even though there was barely anyone in the tea room. He grabbed a nearby chair, swinging it around to sit at the table. "Why do we need to have this discussion again?"

Lou watched him sit down, staring at her. She knew what he was talking about.

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Don't." She was tempted to antagonize him, just because he was so easy to. "Why haven't you found a better job?"

"Working for the FBI…" Elena took the theatrical route, tapping her finger on her chin as she made a pondering noise. "I'm sorry, _who_ was the one who encouraged me to work for the BAU?"

"That was seven years ago." Lou could see he was getting angrier by the minute. "I thought by now you would realize the reason you lost your job. It's best not to interact near the FBI on full basis."

Lou stared at him, now completely confused at what her father was asking of her.

"In what way, Father?"

"I must spell it out for you? Don't take the job. I do not want you near that agent."

Antoinette usually saw Lou deflate at his words, devastated. But when she saw her little girl's face become filled with pure anger, she saw a whole other side of her girl. She often stood up to her father, but this was a different type of attitude and it was not to be taken lightly.

"I am _not_ a child. I am a _professor_, now at an elite college, _also _with an IQ that is two points more than yours. I was asked to work with the FBI, because they asked for my help. I have a talent not most people have, and now that I've decided to bring justice into the world, to bring harmony and equality to the world that needs it-" (the last two sentences were from Charles' most renowned words in his famous speech) "-you'll try to pull me away from it? No thank you, Father."

Lou stood, grabbing her jacket and purse.

"Oh, and he's not an agent. He's a _doctor_. I know I have a more advanced mind than you, but I'm sure you can remember that." She walked around him, stopping beside her mother's chair. "Thank you for tea, Mother." Lou leaned down to kiss her cheek before walking out of the tea room. She was halfway to the door when she heard her father shout towards her.

"You'll be working for the FBI over my dead body, Lou."

_Don't say things like that_. Charles hit a weak spot, and Lou knew it as well, stopping in her tracks. She didn't like it when her parents talked about death. Lou could barely manage the thought of it, let alone think about it. But Lou knew to keep strong, standing taller as she refused to turn around.

"I never knew ghosts were so lifelike, Charles."

"If you choose to disregard me-" Lou could hear the anger in his tone, "-know that I will disregard you."

Elena realized what he meant.

Lou continued walking, not turning around after she heard the chair being shoved backwards. Lou picked up her pace as much as she could, listening to her mother calling out "_Theodore_" before exiting the main room. Walking through the Victorian styled entrance, she passed through the doors, running towards her car parked out front. Hopping into Rosie, she turned on the ignition, reversing just in time to see her father exiting the front door. Changing gears quickly, Lou floored it, squealing out of the parking lot and zooming down the street. She was in the midst of tears as she pulled onto random streets, turning wherever. The tears prevented Lou from seeing, causing her to quickly parallel park on the street, letting the tears flow. She allowed herself a moment to break down, sobbing softly as her head rested on the steering wheel. She remembered the words he said. _Disregard_. Just like his old co-workers. Like his college buddies. Like his childhood friend.

Disregarded.

Definition (in the lexicon of Theodore Charles Joseph Richardson)…

…The people he no longer spoke to.

_Damn you, Charles._

She hated being alone when she cried. Not because it wasn't cathartic, but it was because when she did cry (_really_ cry), it didn't happen too often. But every time it did, it was when she was alone. She wanted to be with someone. She'd feel better if someone was with her. Lou realized that wanting someone with her while she cried was a new feeling, and she knew the reason why she developed this feeling.

Because she wanted only one person to be with her when she cried.

Pulling his number on her phone, she figured she'd get his voicemail. She kept her eyes closed, trying to breathe.

"_Hey Ellie_."

She would have cried her _heart_ out the second she heard his voice if she hadn't been weeping already. Lou was starting to realize he was her silver lining in every gloomy part of her life.

"_Is something wrong?_"

Elena took a deep breath. "Do you have a minute?"

"_I have seven._" She could hear how casual he was, and Lou took a second to relax. "_JJ just left to pay the delivery guy, and everyone's going to be sorting out the food._"

"Could you…" Lou blinked harshly. "Could you please talk to me?"

"_About what?_"

She shook her head. "Anything, please."

"…_Elena_?" He was_ so_ confused, and Lou was getting anxious.

"I just… I really need to hear your voice right now."

Lou listened to the silence on the receiver.

"_Women's hearts tend to beat faster than men's._"

She smiled at Spencer's voice. She knew this fact already.

"Why?"

"_On average, women tend to have less body mass then men, pumping more blood quickly._"

Elena stared out the window, watching the cars drive by. "That's an interesting topic to pick."

His tone was soft. "_I figured your heart was racing, since you sound sad._"

More tears managed to escape.

"_What's wrong?_"

Lou didn't want to tell him what was going on. He had an important case to focus on, and knowing her father _hated_ him would be the worst evil she could choose to make him distracted. So Lou decided to go with the next best evil, which was just as much as the truth, devastating her.

"I broke the promise," Elena whispered.

She couldn't handle the sharp intake she heard.

"I know, it's so soon after you left, but I-"

Lou grasped at the fact it was a stupid idea to call him, because now she made Spencer feel bad for doing his job. Calling him _was _a distraction, regardless if it was just a social call or not. But she also couldn't help the way she missed him, or how she needed him then and there. She changed her objective, taking a deep breath.

"When you get back, we're watching any movie you like."

"_I can choose?_" She chuckled at his excited and astonished tone.

"Yes, Spencer."

"_Can we watch Andrei Rublev in Russian_?"

Lou bit her tongue, realizing it was a _very _bad idea. "That movie's three hours, right?"

"_Three hours and twenty five minutes in the original version._"

_Be careful for what you wish for._ "I'm pretty sure the library has a DVD of it _somewhere_."

Lou heard the snort of the other side of the line. "_What happened to pirating the films off of your computer?_"

"In your case, I'm making an exception." She held the steering wheel, tracing the metal design.

"_Ellie, are you sure you're okay_?"

The concern in his tone pulled at her heartstrings. "Yes. I'm just mad at myself for breaking a promise."

Lou could practically hear his shrug. "_Technically speaking, you promised you'd try not to miss me, therefore you can still keep your perfect record intact_."

She missed him more in that moment, for making her feel better. She wanted to hug him, wanted to hold him, wanted to _desperately_ have Spencer right beside her, telling her words of comfort that were meant for her ears alone. Lou came to grasp that she'd never understand the depth of Spencer Reid's kindness. It was an infinite amount of emotion, and if anyone's moral compass was pointed due north, it was his. Her _heart_ was a constant annoyance, beating faster every time she thought of him (she completely ignored the gut feeling and went along with Spencer's point on how it's scientifically proven that a woman's heartbeat is faster than a man's). She only felt this way because of him, and him alone.

"Thank you," she said to him after a moment.

"_For what?_"

She sighed in content, looking out her window. "Just… being you. I hope you know how special you are."

Lou could feel his bashfulness. "_I'm just fortunate to have a brain like mine_."

She realized he thought Lou was talking about his intelligence. "No, I'm not talking about the thing between your ears. I'm talking about the thing in your chest."

Elena didn't give Spencer a moment to respond. "You care deeply for those who you cherish, and not everyone is as compassionate as you are. That's what makes you special, Spencer. Not only because you are one of the most intelligent people to exist. But because you have a-"

"_I don't_," he whispered, knowing what Lou was going to say. "_I don't have the luxury of having one of those_."

Lou felt the pit of her stomach clench listen to his devastated tone. "Spencer-"

"_I have to go, Ellie. Call me if you change your mind. Good luck tomorrow._"

She sighed. "Be safe."

"_You too._"

"Bye."

"_Bye._"

Hanging up the phone, she looked at the screen, seeing Spencer's caller ID staring back at her. **Dr. Spencer Reid** was plainly looking at her, and somehow she felt that it was unacceptable for his name to be as such (especially with her habit of giving her favourite people specific names). Going into the edit option, Lou quickly deleted his name before testing out the one she thought of. Looking at her work, she smiled, putting her phone down before turning her car on, pulling out of the parking spot, and driving aimlessly, following the yellow line on the road.

[ + ]

"Reid?"

Spencer turned around after hanging up with Ellie, his eyes finding only Kate and Rossi sitting in the conference room. His mind was still worried about Lou, and how broken she sounded. The second she didn't greet Spencer in a cheerful tone when she called was the moment he knew something was very wrong. He wanted to know what was happening, but he knew she wasn't budging. Spencer figured that the only thing that would hurt her deeply would be her father. He wanted to be there. He also knew why she didn't say anything to him. Ellie thought she would distract him from the case.

If she only knew he was distracted the second he got on the plane.

"Sorry." He sat down, across from Rossi. "Had to take a personal call."

"Professor Richardson, I'm assuming?" The man on the other side of the doctor said.

"What… I didn't say who I was talking to."

"It's not that hard to figure out." Kate asked, a pair of chopsticks in her hand. "How's Lou anyways? I miss that beaming ray of pink."

"She's good."

"Isn't it her first day consulting tomorrow?" Rossi asked.

Spencer nodded. "She told me she was excited."

Rossi and Callahan gave him a look.

"What?"

"She _told_ you?" Dave asked.

"Which would indicate that she said something that is completely opposite to what she's actually feeling." Kate chimed in.

David leaned towards Reid. "And considering how grim you looked while on the phone, something's up."

For a genius, Spencer was amazed at how many times he forgot how well profilers could read him. But nothing would make him forget keeping Ellie's personal life personal. "It's not my place to say anything."

Rossi inspected the look on Reid's face. The kid seemed miserable the second he ended the call, and David could understand the feeling. Spencer was beginning to see the negative side of working for the BAU. Reid never had someone to miss when he was away, and now that there was Lou back in Virginia, calling him to most likely hear Spencer's voice, left the doctor in disarray. He was still happy for Reid, knowing that there was a sweet professor who enjoyed his company just as much as he enjoyed spending time with her. Rossi's idea popped into his brain before he could take into consideration how much of a matchmaker he was being at that moment.

"Two weeks from now, clear your calendar. Both of you," he nodded towards Kate. "I think the team deserves a Christmas party with their families in attendance."

Kate smiled brilliantly. "I finally get to see the Rossi home."

"_Mansion_, thank you very much." Dave looked to Reid. "Bring Lou along as well. I'm sure she'd love it."

Spencer smiled for the first time that day. "She would. Elena thinks you guys are geniuses."

Callahan's jaw dropped in surprise. "Are you lying?"

"No. Those were her words exactly."

The three were interrupted by Morgan walking into the room. "The parents just confirmed that the girls would walk the dog after school every day at the same time."

Reid stood, searching through the map. "The unsub most likely maintains a job that is either overnights, or travels frequently, or within the school hours, leaving before the final bell. He most likely customized his routine with theirs, having easy access to the girls when he could. The unsub probably lives in range with either the home, or another location the girls frequent."

"There's a small forest a couple of blocks," Kate pointed out. "Would the girls head there?"

Morgan shook his head. "Their father was stern with them. Only public places frequented with a lot of people."

"Troyer's a smart man." Rossi mentioned.

"Geographically, it's too broad." Reid looked at the predominate area. "The area is riddled with suburban homes, disregarding the waterfront a few minutes away from the home. Any one of them could see Susan and Mackenzie on a daily basis, easily taking them."

"Sue and Kenzie."

The four profilers turned to face the girls' distraught mother staring at the boards. Her face was covered in tears and mascara as she clutched onto her purse. The woman looked devastated, and rightly so. Her two children were taken from her without explanation, and she couldn't do anything about it. "They liked to be called Sue and Kenzie."

"Missus Troyer." Morgan was gentle in his demeanor. "Please, you don't need to hear this."

"You need to find my girls." Anna Troyer begged. "You need to bring my girls home."

Derek hated moments like this, when he would try to comfort the victim's family without giving them concrete answers. "We will do everything in our power to find Kenzie and Sue. The best thing you can do for them right now is take care of yourself."

"But are my babies being taken care of?" She cried out, more tears falling.

Morgan escorted Missus Troyer out of the conference room, allowing the rest of the team to keep brainstorming. Reid looked at his map again. Most of the homes along the shore were occupied by adults who worked long hours, most likely working until the late evening. All of them were from families with two to three children in each household. He wasn't getting anywhere with the maps, and Sue and Kenzie didn't have enough time. He took a moment to step back, gathering all the information on the board. He saw the pictures of the crime scene, looking at the beds in disarray, the drawings hanging on the wall, the perfectly organized shelves-

_The drawings_.

He plucked two of the pictures off of the glass, holding them out towards him as he inspected the pictures the girls drew. He could see the drawings ranging from a seven-year-old hand to a ten-year-old hand. They were all completely different drawings in different scenarios, yet the one common element was a tall figure coloured with red hair and blue eyes. Most of the pictures the man was in had the back drop of the ocean. Spencer realized that the girls drew the unsub over the span of three years. He shot out of the room, walking towards where Morgan and Missus Troyer were secluded, along with Mister Troyer. Opening the door, Spencer walked directly towards Anna.

"Do you know who this man is?" Reid asked the parents.

Weston and Anna Troyer glanced at the drawings, Missus Troyer's eyes lighting up when she saw her daughters' pictures.

"The girls said it was their imaginary friend, Mister Supal."

_Supal_. _Origin is not English, or any known language._

"Oh God," Weston whispered. "He… This is him, isn't it? This man took my girls and I knew he was in their lives."

"Mister Troyer, the person responsible for this is the person who took them." Morgan said to the man across from him.

"I should have protected my children." He said, pushing himself off of the couch. "Excuse me." The father pushed pass Reid, causing the doctor to follow him out of the room. Reid couldn't help the thoughts swirling through his head. The pictures were heavily relating to the waterfront, which got him thinking that the unsub worked near, or in, the water. He couldn't keep his mind off of the waterfront, where there was a large marina a few minutes away. It was a long shot, but his mind was deducing a pattern.

Exotic animals and boats were somewhere in that pattern, and he was going to find the clues to lead him to the girls.

[ + ]

"_You excited for tomorrow?_"

Lou smiled at Penelope's tone as she held her cellphone between her ear and her shoulder, grabbing her packaged dinner from the microwave. "More nervous. I feel like I'm not going to do a good enough job."

"_Really? You, Genius Extraordinaire that knows almost every piece of literature and has a vast knowledge of everything._"

"You're overestimating my knowledge." Lou muttered into her microphone, holding the previously frozen meal before running to the table in a frantic state. _Hot, hot, hot, hot, hot_. "I'm just quite good at pinpointing individuals based on their social status."

"_Uh, I'm pretty sure that's the sole reason they hired you_."

Elena raised an eyebrow, aware that the only other person in the home was Dexter. "So JJ, and Morgan, and yourself, and the rest of the team had _nothing_ to do with my new consulting position within the FBI?"

"…_I'm pleading the fifth._"

"Good choice."

"_Hey, speaking of tomorrow. Lunch?"_

The professor smiled into her phone. "Of course, Penny G. I'll bring the sandwiches."

"_No, I'll bring the sandwiches. I still taste what you called 'roast beef'._"

"It wasn't that bad."

"_Did Dexter eat it?_"

Lou looked at her dog, remembering the repulsed look Dexter had when she gave him the rest of her attempt at a meal.

"_Yeah, that's what I thought. But you're welcome to bring me a whole tray of your sugar cookies._"

"Sorry, Penelope. They're all gone." She pushed her meal around, the rice slowly becoming unappetizing as she remembered the culprit in the case of the missing sugar cookies. "Apparently, Spencer has gone head over heels for my cookies."

"_That's not the only thing he's gone crazy for_," Lou heard Garcia mumble. Ignoring what Penelope meant by that sentence, she tried keeping her breaths steady, but the emotional turmoil she went through that same day was weighing down on her. Knowing that the one person who was capable of bringing her peace was several states south of where she was left Lou in a forlorn state. Penny reminding her of Spencer made Lou miss him more, especially in that moment.

"_He's gonna come back, honey._"

Lou chuckled. "I know."

"_But you're okay, right_?" Garcia sounded concerned (even more concerned than her typical Super-Caring Penny Garcia). "_You'd tell me if you needed a friend?_"

"Yes, I would. But I'm fine."

Penelope didn't like that answer, but accepted it anyway. "_Alright. Well I'm just a phone call away. You holler at a girl if you need me_."

"I will, Penelope. Thank you."

"_Sleep well, FBI Consultant Richardson._"

Lou laughed, hanging up the phone before placing it on the table in front of her. Talking to Penelope was great, only, bringing up the thought of Spencer clenched the organ in her chest. She pushed her untouched food away, closing her eyes. She recalled his hand holding onto hers tightly. Sometimes, if they were close enough, the temperature from the cold watch would jolt her as it touched her forearm (to which Spencer would profusely apologize for and caused her to smile at him). Lou held her hands together, the nervous _one, two, three _tick was constant as her index finger struck her other hand. She looked at her palms, knowing how many times she manipulated her fingers into positions they shouldn't be in out of nervousness. She wished Spencer was there, soothing out her pain from her twisted bones.

Standing from her seat, she walked to the couch, sitting on the soft cushion. Dexter, sensing his mistresses' distress, jumped on the couch beside her, resting his head on her lap. It was such a stressful day, and stroking Dexter's head allowed Lou to come to terms with her emotions. Petting Dexter somehow unlocked the seal that Elena kept on her tears, causing them to fall down her face. The pain of her father's disapproval wasn't a new wound, which is why she felt as if her scars were being pried open. Lou sobbed, the sound of her cries ringing through the home. The weight was heavy on her chest as she felt the loneliness seep in. Crying by herself was routine for Lou, but being alone was a habit that she wanted to break.

_Spencer, I miss you. So much._

* * *

><p><strong><em>Review? Favourite? Follow?<em>**

**_xoxo N. _**

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><p><em>Next Time: "Put the gun down!" "...Reid!"<em>


	17. Dix-Sept

**_Hey Everyone!_**

**_Yes, I am back with another update! Woot woot! Just want to point out that there are 143 of you that are my minions, but the 217 of you are the most amazing people to ever exist because HOW ARE THERE SO MANY OF YOU READING THIS STORY?!_**

**_Special shoutout goes to my super lovely reviewers _**_redtailedhero, fishtrek, Demona Evernight, Dalonega Noquisi, Aya Ayame, Love-Fandom03, Sue1313, sonnetStar, LynnStark, MiaR, gossamermouse101, Kelword-Ann, __**and **__MsRose91 **because all your comments are what drives me to write the story as best as I can.**_

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**_Enjoy my pretties!_**

**_P.S. Nothing that is Criminal Minds is mine_**

* * *

><p>Spencer held all of the drawings (courtesy of the Miami-Dade Police Department picking up the box that held every picture made) as he sorted them out. They were looking for a white male, early forties with no indication of sadism and pedophile tendencies. Based on the frequency in each picture, the unsub had a strict schedule. Each picture was dated, and <em>Mister Supal<em> only appeared every two months. The care the unsub took in making sure the girls would be comfortable while they were taken was that of a parent, most likely a father who lost his children. Garcia was on the phone with Derek and JJ, trying to track down any deaths of two young girls in the past five years, going state wide. Spencer pulled another picture out, finding the unsub in the middle of the Troyer girls. Only this picture had the suspect dressed in a white suit.

_White suit._

_Boat._

_Two months at a time._

_Kangaroo._

_Koala._

_Mister Supal…_

"Garcia," Spencer interrupted Morgan. "Look for any Miami residences in a mile radius of the Troyer home that are NAVY seals."

"_Uh, surprisingly forty five. But all of them were on duty at the time of the kidnapping, if you were wondering."_

"Try cruise ship captains." Reid went for his alternative.

"_Ten points to the Kid Wonder himself. I have a list of eight names_," Garcia's voice filtered through the speaker. "_Help me narrow it down_."

"The unsub has red hair," JJ told Garcia.

"_Still have a list of four. Need a little more, my brilliant agents._"

"See if there's any relation to marsupials."

"Marsupials?" Derek looked at the genius confused.

"Young children have a difficult time speaking difficult words, often coming up with their own way to say the word."

"Henry still says '_bisketti_' when wanting spaghetti for dinner," JJ added in.

Morgan took into consideration when Kenzie and Sue would have first met the unsub three years prior. "The girls came up with a name for him, or the unsub gave them one."

"_Got him. Jordan Ashley, been working for Escape Cruise Ships, aptly named because it is a cruise that takes you from Miami to Mexico… Sweet Jesus, Reid you are getting major brownie points. Miranda Ashley is a mammalogist at Zoo Miami, which links back to those cute stuffed animals, and- Oh, those poor darlings._"

"Penelope?" Derek questioned.

"_Ashley lost his two daughters, Kayla and Bernice, in a tragic boating accident three in a half years ago._"

JJ closed her eyes, trying hard to not imagine the pain of losing a child.

"Do you have an address?" Reid asked.

"_Not since he divorced his wife, but my super sleuthing indicates that he's most likely occupying his boat. Sorry, his ridiculously overpriced yacht._"

"When does the next cruise leave?" Morgan said to Garcia, standing up from his chair.

"_Give me a mo' and- Oh God. The next cruise leaves in an hour, and it's his trip._"

"I'll call Hotch." JJ said as Morgan and Reid ran out of the room towards the entrance. They had a location on where the girls were. But they also had a time constraint, and the profilers were worried they wouldn't get to the girls on time. But Derek and Spencer weren't thinking of that. They were only thinking of bringing the girls back home.

[ + ]

Movie piracy.

_Of course that's my first case._

Lou resisted looking at her new ID badge that was clipped to her dress (the word "_consultant_"was sticking out), as she was sitting in her new office she shared with two other agents. Agent Tucker, the lead of the team, was to meet her later on in the day. The door to the office read "_Bartholomew Monroe_", but that was until Lou saw the "_Christian Douglas_" underneath the first name tag. SSA Monroe was an experienced agent (twenty two years in the FBI, nine years in the BAU). Tall, lanky, with glasses sitting at the edge of his nose, yet he was quite intelligent. SSA Douglas, however, was six months into joining the team. He was eager, and clever, and decided that Elena's desk was a perfect spot to sit on. She was polite with him, as he was guiding her through the proper procedures. But she knew he was getting another idea. Lou couldn't help but be deterred at where his _heart_ was set.

The word unlocked the thought that swirled in her brain all night and morning.

"_I don't have the luxury of having one of those_."

Lou held her composure. She spent the night missing him, and decided to remember all the conversations they had. Lou figured out quickly that he met her on a level no one else could. She was _astounded_ by how he understood her, because no one else in her life could. ("…_I haven't been beat at chess in a long time." "Well, sometimes it happens. You stumble across moves you've already come upon…" "…My boss became my friend." "You miss him?" "Every day…"…Another round?" "How are you so damn good at poker?!.")_. When she remembered their last conversation, however, she couldn't escape that one sentence, and what Spencer thought of himself.

Sweet Spencer, thinking that he didn't have the capability of putting his _heart_ back together. He thought he wasn't worthy of a feeling so precious. The pieces that once made him whole were scattered all over his painful world. To Spencer, he was too late at having a relationship that meant more than a mere kinship. To him, his chance at a glimpse of happiness faded away the second his _heart_ was smashed to bits when he lost the woman he treasured time ago.

It may have been broken, but he still had one. That meant he was _more _than worthy.

"You know, you don't look like an Elena," Douglas said out of the blue. "I'd think you'd be the type of person to have a tough name, like Tara, or Jade."

Elena smirked at him. He _was_ good at his job. "I prefer to be called Lou."

Christian took a moment to inspect her features. "See? Told you. But where does this "_Lou_" originate from? Most likely middle name. Lucille, of course, based on your French roots." Lou tried to make her shocked look seem skeptic. "I could see from your dark features you were most likely European. From there I deduced that it most likely is a family name, handed down from generations."

"He read your file," Agent Monroe said from his desk, his eyes not leaving the papers on the surface.

Douglas rolled his eyes. "Really? You gotta rat me out like that, Barty?"

"Honesty's the best policy." Bartholomew stood from his chair, walking over towards Elena.

"So, _Lou_," Monroe emphasized her name, causing Ellie to smile. "Tell me how much you've figured out already on _TheDuJour_."

Lou flipped to the first page of her notes, moving the laptop she was using off to the side (Christian saw that there were at least four pages in the hour she wrote… much more than he could brainstorm).

"Well, from first glance, I can already tell the unsub is quite wealthy, based off of the equipment to transfer the quality of the movie, as well as the films itself, clearly Blu-ray based solely on the fact you can't get detail like this, even on high-definition DVD. But the only ones that are Blu-ray are movies like Get Rich or Die Tryin', Hustle and Flow, Four Brothers… Clearly all movies that feature a black male as a lead, growing up in high-risk environments. It would make sense because whoever _TheDuJour_ claims to be is paying homage to The Matrix, and Morpheus is renowned for being a prime example of a strong black character. Considering that the movie came out in nineteen-ninety-nine, he most likely watched it at an impressionable age, around thirteen, fourteen, making him now in his late twenties, early thirties."

"Holy shit." Christian muttered.

Elena looked up to see Agent Douglas' jaw touching the ground, while Agent Monroe was smirking.

"Thank God we snagged you."

The professor leaned back in her chair, moving around to see a blonde woman in a power suit leaning against the door frame, being the person who spoke last. The woman carried a huge smile on her face, as her tall frame walked into the secluded office. Lou felt as if this woman was the head of the small unit. She stood as the blonde was beside her.

"Professor Richardson?" The woman asked, offering her hand. "Agent Tucker, Tucks for short."

"It's very nice to meet you," Lou said, feeling self-conscious standing beside the professional appearance of Tucker while Elena was dressed in something that would make Penelope proud.

"No, it's my pleasure to be meeting you." Tucks leaned over the desk, picking up all of Lou's research. She picked up the scrap paper riddled with clues into leading the unsub, looking at the pages (back and front). Angela Tucker was amazed at the young professor's ability to deduce someone based off of their movie selection. It was going to make the cybercrimes technical analyst a very happy person.

"You figured all this out in two hours?"

Tucker saw the hint of red on her cheeks as the professor smirked. "I might have gotten ahead start on the Sims 4 torrent case."

Lou saw Tucker's eyes widen slightly before the bosslady took all of her paperwork. "Take an early lunch. I'll run these down to our brilliant tech-savvy agents."

She took her moment to escape before walking out with Agent Tucker. She found out that the agent was with the Bureau for just as long as Agent Monroe (they worked their first two years together). She was a mother of four boys, which she proudly stated how she kept her army in check. Lou noticed the tan line on her ring finger, and the chain necklace hiding underneath her shirts, most likely her partner had passed on. Walking towards the elevator, Tucker gave a quick farewell to Lou before heading into the elevator. Once the doors shut, Lou took a sigh of relief. She was doing _very_ well apparently on her first day, impressing her boss. She was less nervous as she turned to walk into the bullpen, headed towards the fridge.

She was in the middle of grabbing her water bottle before she heard a shriek so loud she almost dropped the bottle.

"You are an absolute _vision_."

Penelope couldn't keep her eyes off of the cuteness of Lou's outfit. An abstract, light pink dress, contrasted with the black tights and bold, green jewellery (Penny's shoe appreciation was highlighted when she saw the matching pink Oxford heels). She knew there was a reason to keep Lucy Lou close to her. They were two fashionably kindred souls stuck in the black and white world of the FBI. Garcia was secretly happy there was another colourful light of happiness running through the halls of the dreary BAU.

"Thank you for giving me a _heart_ attack."

"Just paying you back for giving me one." Penny picked up the statement necklace Lou was wearing, placing her iPad on the table. "I never knew there was this glamour god underneath those jeans and _Doctor Who_."

"Guess I appreciate the finer things." Elena took her bag from the fridge, setting it on the counter. Garcia was right behind her, grabbing the large containers before she placed it on the table in front of Lou. The professor, with a curious eye, peered around the plastic box, watching as Penelope opened the lid, revealing the paninis beautifully crafted within the container. "_Penelope_." Lou couldn't deviate from the delicious sandwiches in front of her as Garcia stood proud, showing off her creation.

"Uh huh. Like I said, _I_ make the sandwiches."

"No complaints from this end." Lou held one in her hand, not caring to microwave the cold panini. Taking a bite, she couldn't contain the moan of pleasure as her taste buds were in content.

"Penelope Garcia, will you marry me?"

"Get in line, doll." Penny snagged one of her masterpieces, tossing it into the microwave. When Penelope turned back around, she saw that Lou had a different panini in her hand, yet there was no evidence of the one she had in her hand previously. "Did you… Is this your second one?"

"Maybe." Lou said with a mouth half-full.

"Friendly reminder that too many will go to your hips." Penelope warned.

"Then let it go to my hips." Elena said after finishing her bite. "There's nothing wrong with a few curves."

"Oh, honey. You don't need to preach to this choir about these curves." Garcia moved her body _suggestively_, causing Lou to erupt in giggles before leaning against the counter. Penelope took her panini out, chowing down on her own. "I must be an alien because my food is out of this world."

"More like heavenly." Garcia nodded, chewing as she agreed to Lou's statement.

The ladies took a moment to relax before Lou heard an array of alarms set off on Penelope's tablet. Lou furrowed her eyebrows, watching as a distressed Penelope walked to her tablet. She touched the screen, and the second her finger made contact with the glass, a look of horror crossed her face and didn't leave. Elena was concerned as Garcia placed the panini down before she grabbed the iPad, running towards the lair. She followed after the yellow and green tech analyst as Garcia ran towards her office (as much as her high heels could let her). Lou realized that there was something seriously wrong as she followed Penelope just in time to see her fingers fly over the keys while she stood at the door.

"Penny?" Garcia ignored her as she was typing away quickly. "Penelope."

Lou didn't get a response as Penelope mumbled to herself. Elena could feel the worried sensation growing in the pit of her stomach for every second her friend didn't respond to her. Walking up to stand right beside Penny, Lou put a hand on her shoulder, causing Garcia to turn in her seat to face Elena.

"Penelope, _what_ is going on?"

The blonde nervously looked to her friend.

"Morgan and Reid were going after the unsub… and now their comms are down."

Somehow, Ellie couldn't breathe_._

_No. Not now. Not so soon._

"Can you get them back online?"

"I'm trying," Penelope grunted out, four of her screens being lit up as she pressed her fingers furiously into the keys, completely focused. Prompts appeared, and Garcia went through them as quickly as she could. When Lou heard the white noise coming from Penny's headset, she was slowly calming down. Elena gasped in pain, looking down at her hands. She quickly realized she was subconsciously squishing the bones in her hand out of fear. A stuttered breath escaped her lips, her eyes closing automatically. Lou tried being strong, but knew it was a battle with herself that she'd lose.

("_Please hold my hand."_

"_I like calling you Ellie."_

"_So, this bothers you?"_

"_You make me think irrationally._"

"_You're… my Doctor._"

"_I don't have the luxury of having one of those._")

"I got them."

Lou's eyes flashed open, listening to the shouting in Garcia's earpiece.

"Put it on speaker."

Penelope looked at Lou in confusion. "Lou."

"Put it on speaker."

Reluctantly, Penelope pushed a button on the phone, and the sound of Derek's voice filled her ears.

"_Jordan, you don't want to hurt Susan_."

"_I would never hurt her._" Lou was anxious when she realized it wasn't Spencer's voice.

"_Prove it to us_."

Lou let herself relax. That was Spencer's voice. "_Prove that you can be a good father. Your children were taken away from you in an unthinkable way, and I can't imagine your pain. Don't inflict that same unbearable pain on another family._"

"_But I can be a good father_."

"_This is your last warning!"_ Derek was relentless.

"_I can be a good father_!"

"_Put the gun down!_"

"_Let me show you! I can do it!_"

"_Reid!_"

Elena didn't realize how loud a gunshot would sound over the phone. She jolted in her spot, completely shocked as she listened to a splash of water before sound of white noise. Lou listened as Penelope shifted to Morgan's frantic call for Spencer, Lou's _heart_ falling out of her chest. _Why isn't Spencer talking? _She wouldn't let herself imagine what happened to Spencer. She only heard Derek's voice. _Why isn't he saying anything?_ The rational part in her head told her that if there was a splash, that meant they were on a body of water. If Morgan was calling out to Spencer, there would only be one plausible explanation. Spencer fell into the water. Whether or not the gunshot was _meant_ for him was the one thing Lou couldn't come to terms with.

_Spencer, say something!_

"_Reid!_"

The last call sounded different. It sounded relieved. After a few grunts later, with the slam of a body hitting a hard surface, Lou listened to the rattle of handcuffs before she heard the shrill of metal locking in.

_Please… just, something. Anything._

"_Are you insane?_" Morgan's question confirmed he was speaking to a familiar voice.

"_I… had an opening._"

Penelope turned at Lou's sigh of relief, watching as she walked away from the screens with her hands on her hips, pacing slightly. The blonde could hear her heavy breaths, watching as Elena's hands clenched against her sides, her finger making a tapping motion. Penny knew what Lou was feeling, because she felt something similar every time the team went out into the field. Worried. Overwhelmed. Helpless. The worst part was being so far away that she couldn't physically help (the exact reason why Garcia worked so hard on her computers to help the team; she wanted to do everything she could so her babies could come home safe). Watching Lou struggle to have some self-control caused Penelope to call her over. Elena took a moment before walking over to where Penny's hand was extended out. Lou took her friend's hand, feeling Garcia's comforting grip as they listened to the comms.

Lou's voice was small when she spoke. "Can you keep me updated on when they'll be back?"

"Of course."

Giving a small squeeze to Penelope's hand before letting go, Lou walked out of the office, her emotions overpowering her. She was aware of the realities that came with Spencer's job, but the actuality of the occupation didn't set in until that moment. She could have lost him. She could have never seen Spencer again. The thought of not being able to hold him once more, or have his hand in hers, or never feel his lips against hers dazed Lou in despair. She took a moment, turning into the nearest restroom. Her forced deep breaths allowed her to calm down. Spencer was safe. Spencer was okay. Spencer was going to come back home.

Lou stared at the tiles, her thoughts assaulting her.

_You deserve that luxury, Spencer. God, you deserve so much more_.

[ + ]

Elena didn't leave the office that day (even with Tucker's insistent pleas which lead to more curiosity). After she was done her shift that day, she wandered back to Garcia's office, not bearing to be alone. It was now very late in the evening. Lou was making tea constantly (her eleventh cup was in her hand), as she was back and forth between Penelope's office and the BAU bullpen (Lou was only making tea to see if Spencer spontaneously showed up). She arrived to Garcia's lair, opening the door to find Penny sitting in her chair, typing softly into her computers.

"The jet landed thirty minutes ago." Lou was in the middle of brainstorming. "They must be here already."

"Patience, Lou." Penelope mentioned before a small square popped onto the screen. "Oh, hold on. Derek just used his key card to access the building four minutes ago."

"So you're telling me I might have walked past them and didn't even notice?"

Garcia's nod was all she needed, as Ellie placed her cup on the nearest counter before she ran her way back to the bullpen. The second she saw Kate's figure walking into the main office, Lou was excited to have the confirmation that _he_ was here. Pushing the glass door open, she scanned the office, seeing his figure talking with Derek, sitting on the edge of his desk with his legs spread out. The smile that graced her face erased any and all ailments she was feeling. She saw the rolled up sleeve, and the bicep wrapped up in gauze. Lou deduced that he did indeed get shot. He looked tired and worn out, but to her, he looked perfect.

She watched as Morgan caught onto her, before he turned to face her. She realized that he must have come just as she left the bullpen.

"Ellie."

To hear him sound so _relieved_ made her _heart_ jolt.

_Spencer._

Lou walked to him, seeing as he was making no indication to move (he was probably dead tired, not caring to move). She wanted to be able to hold him, but was afraid Spencer's wound would cause him pain if he tried wrapping his arms around her. Lou stopped in front of him, wringing her hands together, as she was unsure of how to proceed (Lou also noticed they were now the same height). Spencer picked up on her actions instantly, his eyebrows furrowed. Elena _always_ made it her mission to hug him, as she usually was the first one to initiate contact. He watched as her eyes focused on his arm. Spencer put the pieces together, noticing how Ellie was hesitant out of caution.

"Are you okay?"

He nodded. "A bit waterlogged, but I'm alright."

"So getting shot means you're okay…" Lou trailed off, causing Derek to chuckle.

"Told you she was going to be mad." Morgan teased.

Lou shook her head. "Not mad, just concerned."

"I'm fine, Ellie." He could barely lift his arms, let alone convince her. "How was your first day?"

She shrugged. "It was okay, the cases were not my cup of tea."

"Whatcha get?" Kate was eavesdropping as she was packing up. "Bank robbers? Con artists?"

Lou was reluctant in her response, knowing Spencer's reaction.

"Movie piracy."

The snort of laughter that erupted from Spencer caused Elena to try very hard in holding her tongue. She never realized how ironic the world was until that moment. Spencer's small laughs caused a huge smile to grow on her face as Lou tried hiding it from the man standing in front of her. Morgan and Callahan were lost in the small joke the two shared, but both of them were also smiling. Derek and Kate were happy to be out of the loop if that meant their team member (who was often left out of most jokes) completely understood the evident humour in the situation (_or_ he was just being mean).

"Good luck with that, Little Lou." Derek gave her a pat on the shoulder before heading out with Kate. Lou didn't have the energy to correct Derek as she watched the two profilers meet up with JJ before exiting the bullpen. There was no one else in the bullpen except for Lou and Spencer. He watched as she was tapping her finger against her palm, itching to hold him. He was amused by her concern. She didn't want to hurt him, physically or any other way that she could. He couldn't stop the thought in his brain as he held out his hand to her. He was completely exhausted, but he found the energy to hold it out to her.

Lou took his hand before he dragged her between his legs as he wrapped his arms around her waist. He felt her breath against his neck as she relaxed in his embrace. It was one of those moments he was worried about. Ellie must have known what happened; she was too shaken up to not be privy to the details. That meant she was anxious about his well-being the entire time he was away. He knew it was inevitable, but still felt awful for making her sick with worry. She tightened her grip, and Spencer couldn't help the emotion that stunned him. Her hand was soothing against his neck as her warmth lulled over Spencer. The more she held him, the more he felt safe. She made everything better just by being there.

He liked coming home.

Spencer felt as if someone was staring at him. He peaked through his lashes, seeing three figures through the door watching the two geniuses. Spencer couldn't help the laugh that escaped, causing Lou to pull back.

"What?" She asked.

"We have an audience." Spencer mumbled to her. Lou turned her head towards the door just in time to see Derek's head turn the opposite way as Kate (who was trying to escape) ran into JJ before the two ladies headed to the elevator innocently.

"You would think they'd hide better." She muttered before turning back towards Spencer, still rooted between him. "You saved the girls?"

Spencer smirked, remembering Sue and Kenzie. "We brought them home."

Lou smiled, her hand still entwined with his. "You saved a family today."

"Doesn't happen as often as it should." He whispered, sadly.

He felt her finger underneath his chin, tilting his head up softy. "But it does happen because of people like you."

Spencer looked at her, remember how much he missed her. He wanted to know desperately what was going on with her, but for the moment he appreciated how wonderful it was to be close to her again. To see her face, especially with a smile on it, was the best end to the great day that Spencer took a moment to appreciate his luck. His mother was okay, his team was safe. He brought two little girls back to their mother and father. But mostly, he brought himself back to _his _Ellie (Spencer refused to think otherwise because he was the only person who referred to her as such). He made staying away for so long worth it by coming back to Lou, albeit not in one piece at the moment.

He remembered how Rossi scolded him back on the plane for being so, as Dave referred to it, "_belligerently stupid enough to chase after an unsub with a gun._" He remembered how Rossi continued on to remind him that he wasn't the only person to think about. He had to think about the team. He also had to think about the professor who was slowly becoming his brain's favourite thought. The thought of the Christmas party came back to Spencer, and he remembered to ask her the next time they were with each other. He was too exhausted to even move, and Lou was picking up on his fluttering eyes.

"Do you need a ride home, Doctor?" He nodded slowly, with a smile, watching as Lou pointed towards the door. Standing up, he slung his arm over Lou's shoulder, before placing a kiss on her temple. He felt Lou still at the motion.

"When I'm not tired, will you please tell me what's wrong?"

When he felt Lou's arm around his waist, he knew she was opening up.

"Tomorrow, then."

Spencer reached behind him, turning to find Lou's hand to place in his own. She smiled, looking down to their hands before resting her head against his shoulder. Spencer noticed she was three point eight inches taller than she usually was, and the height difference was nice. He could see her freckles from that angle, and was able to see the rich brown of her eyes when she leaned her head back to look at him. He got to see all of her more closely, and the miniscule motions she would make were easily visible. That was when Spencer decided, as much as he loved her Chuck Taylors, that Ellie in a pair of high heels was mandatory as much as possible (even though he knew it was unrealistic in every sense). Lou could see that something was on Spencer's mind as he would often trail down to look at her shoes. She figured out the most of it before facing Spencer, not letting go of his hand.

"Yes, I like the height as well. Brings me closer to your face."

Lou didn't know why Spencer laughed, but didn't question it as he brought her closer to place another kiss on her head.

_He must really be tired if he's kissing me now._

* * *

><p><em><strong>Follow? Favourite? Review?<strong>_

_**xoxo N. **_

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><p><em>Next Time: "...I need you, Ellie."<em>


	18. Dix-Huit

**_Hey Everyone!_**

**_I bring you another round of complete Spencer/Lou goodness. Just because I'm so awesome I thought, well, let's give the readers a full chapter of cuteness between our favourite couple! I know, I'm so nice (friendly reminder that with my extreme niceness has a contract of sadistic evilness... muahahahahahahaha)._**

**_I'm going to take a moment and religiously freak out because there is 239 people following this story. WHAT? IS THIS REAL? Thank you to all my readers. You all are literally are changing my life._**

_**Gonna give a big, special shoutout to my beautiful reviewers: **goyitazz _(Thank you for thinking this story is amazing! You better be excited because Dix-Huit is officially my _favourite_ chapter…), _Sue1313 _(Keep an eye for Agent Douglas… He's a sneaky one!), _Dalonega Noquisi_(Eh, the whole "I need you, Ellie" is both positive and negative… depends on how you look! OH BTW, I love Reid kisses too!), _HPmia_ (Thank you for loving Spencer & Lou! [Also thanks for having this as your favourite fic about Spencer]), _ladyofdarkness1000_ (Thanks darling!), _Guest_ (Spencer's very emotionally stunted, so he knows Ellie's special to him. But he'll soon find out what's going on in his severely large brain), _MsRose91 _(I can guarantee that Spencer will _definitely_ be showing more affection), _MiaR_ (Girl, I'm going to tell you right now you will freak out in this chapter), _HannahBananasxx_ (More witty banter on height differences coming up in future chapters!), _Guest_ (Thank you for thinking this is the only good Spencer/OC fic… but I'm sure there are others that are just as great!), _Demona Evernight_ (I'm glad I can be your ray of sunshine! Don't work too hard now!), _runningwithhorses_ (Thank you my new friend), _Guest_ (While I am not a fan of Hemlock Grove, my beta Blue is an avid fan of the show, and will often leave me Easter Eggs in my own damn fic so that I can find them [and to Blue, you win this round…]), _m_(Do not bow to me! I am just a dreamer with a keyboard), _Adelene Abnormal_ (Thank you very much my dear! I aim to please :D), _Guest_ (Update is here! And thank you!), _**and **__Love-Fandom03_ (Prepare for more cuteness!). _**I've never had such positive feedback, and you guys rock at being such awesome readers.**_

_**For those who are tumblr fiends, check out mine: thesongsweforgottoplay.**_

_**Enjoy, my pretties!**_

**_P.S. I do not own Criminal Minds._**

* * *

><p>He remembered the room.<p>

It was a wide expanse, the green walls reflecting the eerie florescent light. The room was cold, the freezing temperature in contrast with the beads of sweat rolling off of his forehead. The blindfold was sitting over his eyes as he sat in the chair, feeling the creaking wood underneath him. He knew the scenario. He could never _forget_ the scene that was playing out in his mind. It was like a movie, one he had seen countless of times. It was the night he lost Maeve, and replaying every moment made it that more devastating. He could feel the hand brush over his chest, the cold palm sending tremors through his body. Spencer didn't want to be here. He knew what was going to happen, knew that she would die, knew that he couldn't fix it… and knew that he couldn't be there to see it.

When the blindfold was taken off, however, he saw something that wasn't the same as before.

"Ellie?"

She was zip-tied in front of him, the small tear tracks running down her face as she looked at Spencer. She looked terrified. She looked hopeless. She looked at Spencer, her eyes betraying all her emotions. "Spencer." Her voice was barely audible underneath the rasp. He tried to push himself out of the chair, but even as he was unrestrained, he still couldn't move.

"Ellie, just hold on."

He squirmed in his spot, in the middle of figuring out why he couldn't move from his sitting position. Spencer was frustrated with every second Elena was held against her will. He couldn't look at her face. He couldn't see the begging in her eyes. Knowing he had the ability to help her, but still wouldn't be able to caused Spencer's anxiety to increase. The hand that was on his chest moved to his shoulder. He took a moment to look up to the unknown person. Horror ran through Spencer, realizing who the individual with the gun was.

"Maeve?"

There were no ties on his wrists, holding him to the chair. There wasn't any rope around his torso, keeping him in his spot. No adhesive, or restriction, was preventing Spencer from pulling Maeve away from Elena as the woman who took his _heart_ was cutting the zip-ties on his professor's wrists. The seat was kicked backwards as he watched Maeve pull Elena to her side, turning her to face Spencer.

"You never wanted me." Maeve's voice was threatening as she pointed the gun towards Ellie. Spencer remembered those words coming from Diane Turner's mouth, but never in his life would he expect Maeve to be uttering those same words.

"You _lied_."

"No." Spencer was pleading with her. "No, I never lied to you, Maeve. I did want you. Please. Me for her. Let me take her place."

"You would do that?" Maeve asked, her grip on Elena tightening.

"Yes."

His heart was racing. He knew what was going to happen and he couldn't do _anything_ about it.

"You would _kill_ yourself for her?"

Spencer couldn't breathe.

"_Yes_."

His hands were shaking as he watched the motion of Maeve bringing the gun up towards her own head. As fast as she was, it was slow in Spencer's eyes. He could dissect every second, watching the determination on Maeve's face. But his eyes found Elena's face. She was drowning in her own fear, but she put on a brave face for Spencer. Her chin was jutted out, prepared for her inevitable end. Her eyes never left Spencer's, looking at him with such a passionate emotion that Spencer somehow knew it had something to do with the "L" word. The end of the barrel was against Maeve's temple before he could register he was screaming.

"_Wait!_"

Spencer shot up from his bed, the sweat running down his body. His heavy breaths echoed off of the empty walls in his bedroom, as his adrenaline began wearing off. Resting his head in his trembling hands, he tried ridding the aftershock of his nightmare. The image of Maeve sitting in a pool of blood always destroyed him. Watching her die within seconds took a part of Spencer he could never get back. He could practically feel the circular wound in his chest from where his _heart_ was ripped out. It oozed every time he thought of that dreadful night. Maeve dying almost killed Spencer himself.

However, watching Ellie die, even if it was in his nightmare, put him in an early grave.

He pulled himself out of his covers, walking to the nearest window. Ignoring the annoying pain from the gunshot wound, he pushed the window open, allowing the _very_ cold air to hit his sweat-ridden skin. He barely put himself back together when he lost Maeve. But losing Elena… Losing someone who was always patient with him, always happy to see him, _always_ being the one constantly good thing in his horrifying world was something he chose not to think of. The scars closing the disconnected veins ached with tormenting pain every time he thought he'd never see his Ellie again.

_Never see Ellie again…_

Reid slammed the window shut. He was unable to calm down from his frightening dream, struggling to keep his emotions at bay. _It's not real_. _Ellie's okay. She's safe._ He was reassuring himself, thinking how there was no possible way that Ellie would be hurt, or in danger. She dropped him at his home, even insisting she stay with him to make sure he wouldn't hurt his arm any further, before heading back to her home. The several texts confirmed she was okay. He was constantly pacing from one end of his home to the other. No amount of rationalization would fulfill the desperate need to have a definite answer on whether or not she was okay (even though he knew that she was completely fine). He ran back to his room, ripping his phone out of the charger as Spencer hit his speed dial (because _of course_ she was on speed dial).

He had to hear her voice.

"…_Spen…cer_?"

Ellie sounded considerably tired. He realized it was extremely late to be calling (his clock read out 3:14). Yet, he didn't feel guilty. Spencer wanted to hear her voice, not caring about the repercussions.

"_Is everything okay_?"

His hands stopped trembling when he heard Elena's sleepy voice through the receiver. She always made him feel better.

"No." Spencer admitted. "I had a bad dream."

He could hear blankets being thrown. "…_Do you want to talk about it_?"

_Absolutely not_. Reid couldn't bear it if he had to say the words out loud. Lou understood the pause was a response.

"_What do you need_?" She asked softly.

He needed her to not be a few cities away from him. He needed her to be in his home, with him. He needed to touch her, to hold her, to have physical evidence that there was still life running through her. He needed her to hold his hand, or cup his face, or (what he really wanted) to have her warm palm against his chest, quelling his throbbing wound.

"You."

Spencer didn't give her a moment to respond. "I know it's late, and you have to be at Quantico in a few hours… But, please, would you come over? You can bring anything you need, I… I have to see you."

"_Spencer…_" He could hear her voice was filled with concern. He knew asking her to drive back to Washington after being there five hours prior was unfair, but he knew the anxiety building up within him wouldn't fade away until he could _see_ she was okay.

"I need you, Ellie."

He didn't believe in luck, but he thought about crossing his fingers as he waited for Ellie to respond.

"_Okay. Give me thirty minutes._"

[ + ]

She was there in less than twenty.

When Spencer heard the knock, he couldn't have gotten to the door fast enough. Unlocking the deadbolt, he wasn't able to keep his eyes off of her. She was dressed in basic black pyjamas (with her fuzzy TARDIS slippers on each foot), carrying a large bag along with her. He was starting to feel awful for waking her up so late (or early), but that began to fade the moment he heard her car keys hit the ground along with her bag. Her hands rested on his chest, looking up towards his scared eyes.

"How bad of a dream was it?" Lou asked softly.

He breathed deeply, enjoying the feeling of her comforting hands spreading warmth throughout his body. Spencer closed his eyes, enjoying Lou's embrace.

"Wow." Lou's reaction caused Spencer to stare at her.

"What?" He asked.

She smiled, standing on the tips of her toes to hold his face. "Nothing… I know what it's like to be alone when you really need someone."

He held one of her wrists, his thumb tracing the veins underneath her palm.

"Can you talk about it?" She begged, to which Spencer shook his head.

Lou pulled away too soon, retrieving her items from the floor before walking into his home. She threw her keys on the table before placing her bag onto the floor, digging through her belongings. Lou took an inventory of her items. Three skirts, two pairs of tights, two pairs of shoes (heels and her signature pink Chucks), basic jewellery, and… _Did I really forget to bring a shirt?_ Pushing the thought out of her mind, she moved her toiletry bag before finding the object she was looking for. She took it out carefully, watching Spencer inspect the brown and yellow item hanging off of her hand.

"A dreamcatcher?"

Elena nodded, walking towards the window. "My grandfather studied Native American cultures for the majority of his life. He always told me of the power the dreamcatcher can have over someone, especially those who need it the most."

"But it's yours." Spencer stated, watching as she hung the dreamcatcher from the lock on his window.

"No, not anymore." She walked back towards him. "You need it more than I do."

"You don't have any nightmares?"

Lou shrugged, looking straight at Spencer's chest, avoiding his intense stare. "Not since I've met you."

Elena watched Spencer as he was completely silent in front of her. Most of the time, she was able to figure out what was running through Spencer's head based off of his reactions, and also his words. But the way he was acting in that moment was something Lou couldn't put her finger on. He looked to be mesmerized, but also overwhelmed with adoration. She walked towards him holding out her hand. Easily intertwining her fingers through his, Lou began heading towards his bed before Spencer stopped completely.

"What is it?" She asked, curious.

Spencer shook his head. "I prefer the couch."

Ellie examined Spencer's body language. She wasn't as good as Spencer was when it came to profiling, but Lou knew she could hold her own. He wouldn't go back towards the bed, trying desperately to stay in the main room. He eyes trailed the disarrayed bed with dread, and Elena figured out that the dream he must have had was so powerful, the thought of going back to the place where it originated from caused him pain. Lou wouldn't let her Doctor be discouraged from his own _bed_ based off a devastating manipulation of a dream.

She held his hand tighter. "I prefer the bed."

He didn't want to move, but as soon as Ellie was leveraging her weight against him, pulling him towards his mattress, Spencer had no choice but to give in to her demands. He sat on the bed first, watching as Elena ran around the bed comically, straightening out the knotted blanket in the middle. He smirked as she hopped on the bed, stealing his two pillows before stacking them on top of each other against the headboard. She rested against the pillows, holding out her arms as she sat on the bed.

"Come." Lou urged, watching Spencer's gloomy state lift up slightly. "Holding me seems better than spending the night _watching_ me, now doesn't it?"

Lou assumed her joke would prompt a response, but when Spencer said nothing, she knew to be concerned. _I shouldn't have pushed him. We should have stayed on the couch. _Her whole body was shocked when she felt Spencer's arms wrapping around her. He was hesitant, leaning down towards Ellie. But when his head rested on her chest, she felt him relax completely, snuggling in her embrace. His breathing slowed, and she could feel his skin was cooler. Lou decided it was the perfect opportunity to weave her hands through his hair, loving every second of the soft curls tangled between each finger. The exhale of air coming from Spencer let her know he was finally calming down from what she believed to be a horrible dream.

"It's just a dream." She whispered, her fingers dragging through his hair. Her hand on his scalp relaxed him.

"I know."

"Do you want to talk about it?" She asked him softly.

"No."

Lou bit her lip, holding back her words. "Are you sure-"

"_Ellie_." Lifting his head up, he stared at her, being an inch away from her face. "Please, stop."

"I'm sorry." Her _heart _was breaking every second Spencer was keeping his painful emotions to himself. Lou didn't want to think of what he went through. If he couldn't bring himself to let her know what type of torment was swirling through in his brain, then Elena knew that Spencer's nightmare was truly what its name represented. The worst possible scenario played out in his extremely advanced mind, causing her Doctor to struggle with grasping reality.

Her hand came to rest against his cheek. She could feel his stuttered breath on her lips.

"I just want you to be okay."

He couldn't keep his eyes away from hers. He could see how worried she was. Spencer practically dragged her all the way to his place. He had to look at her, feel her, to see that she was completely safe and unharmed. He never realized that in doing so, Ellie would be terrified _for_ him. He could see how empathetic she was. Reid appreciated every part of Ellie: her extensive mind, her welcoming demeanour, her passionate emotions... But Elena's best quality was how she was relentless in caring about everyone. Yet he knew that he carried an unfair advantage. He easily picked up on how Lou always made sure he was in good spirits. She was _always _concerned about him. Because she cared.

_But to what extent?_

Spencer sat up, causing Ellie to follow suit. She deserved more than evasive answers from him. Sitting in the middle of the bed, he was aware how their positions caused Lou's legs to sit on Spencer's thighs. He examined how their increase of their chemistry also caused an increase of comfort. He wasn't afraid of touching her, or holding her, or being in _very_ close positions together. Physically, they were finding comfort, but mentally… Mentally, he was stopping their growth. He knew the exact way to build their relationship closer.

He just had to find the courage first.

"Tell to me about a book."

Lou groaned, peering at the clock (3:49). "_Now_?"

"Please?" His tone was sweet, and Elena was very susceptible to Spencer when he was asking for something very nicely.

"What would you prefer? From where I left off, or one of my favourites?"

"Tell me about the Lord of the Rings Trilogy."

She snorted. "Nuh-uh. You're _reading_ those."

"Why?"

"Because for the simple fact that you could read all _four_ of the books before I have a chance to get into even a quarter of _The Hobbit_, and that's with me skimming the details." Lou anchored her eyebrow at him. "_Bel essai_."

"_Bel essai_?" Spencer said, smiling at her.

Lou blushed, placing her fingers of her mouth out of embarrassment. "It means 'nice try'. I'm so tired, I'm mixing my languages. I only do that when I read."

"It would make sense. While you are an English professor, you often read in several different languages, which means you'd have to know several different languages in order to read them. I figured, since you're so passionate about reading, you'd see the aesthetics of enjoying a work of art in your native tongue-"

"Spencer-" she had to cut him off before he went too far "-as much as I appreciate having a conversation with you, it's four o clock in the morning." Lou leaned back, flopping on the mattress. "Can we continue this at a later time? Say, tomorrow?"

"Technically speaking, that would be in twenty hours." He smiled, staring at her.

Elena huffed in anger. "Then in the morning… And don't be cheeky with me, I mean when the sun has risen, which shouldn't be too long now."

"Ellie… it's tomorrow." Spencer muttered out suddenly.

"Is there some significance to that sentence?"

His hand was trailing up and down her calf. "You said tomorrow."

_Oh._

Lou lifted herself up, resting on her elbows. Spencer could see how hesitant she was at letting him know what was going on with her. There was something off about the way she was acting. It wasn't different than any other time, but it was forced, as if she was purposely choosing her words carefully in order to avoid a certain subject. Ellie pulled her legs from Spencer's lap, tucking them underneath her as she fidgeted with her hands. He examined her facial features, realizing Elena looked saddened by her thoughts. Spencer though about holding her hand, but thought better of it.

"Any chance we can wait?" Lou said with a small laugh.

"I'm not tired."

Lou rolled her eyes. "You are unbelievably persistent."

He nodded. "You've been avoiding topics regarding your parents." He watched Lou take a deep breath. "Did you tell your father about the consulting job?"

She shrugged. "No. He found out."

Reid waited patiently as Lou found the courage to continue. "And when he found out… He was absolutely furious. I admit, I antagonized him excessively. But, when he came to confront me, he…" She looked to the blanket, not able to face Spencer. He saw her swallow her tears as she desperately tried to hold onto her emotions. "He also came to tell me he was _disregarding_ me."

"Disregarding?" Spencer asked, confused.

Elena met his eyes, her tears hiding in her own. "That's Charles' polite way of cutting me out of his life."

He never was one to be angry over situations that didn't affect him. But he couldn't help but see the parallels between Elena's father and his own. Both men, passionate about their careers, decided that their children wasn't going to be a priority in their lives anymore. But the difference was that Ellie was out living her life to the full extent, and her father was practically _torturing_ her for being herself. Spencer realized that he was beginning to loathe Ambassador Richardson with every second the man hurt his professor. His eccentric, hilarious, brilliant professor who never hurt _anyone_.

"It's his loss." He boldly stated, causing Lou to snap her head in his direction. She couldn't help but smile at him, quickly wiping the corners of her eyes.

"I guess it is." She mumbled.

"How did your mother take it?"

Lou grinned, remembering the better half of that same day. "She was ecstatic. Even took me to my favourite tea room to celebrate." Spencer was listening to her every word, and she was curious to know what was running through his brain. "You know, she really likes you."

She saw his eyes widen. "She does?"

"Oh, yes."

"But, she hasn't met me."

"My mother doesn't have to." Lou sat up from her spot to fully see Spencer's face. "She has this uncanny ability to create a first impression of someone based on how someone else perceives them."

He pulled a stray hair away from her face. "So I don't have to worry about projectiles of the wooden spoon variety?"

"If that's you poking fun at my Italian lineage, it's not funny."

Spencer smiled. "I think it is."

Lou playfully tapped his nose. "I also think kicking your delicious butt is hilarious. Yet, am I going to do it? No, because I have some self-restraint."

"Well then excuse me, Professor. I was unaware of your exceptional quality."

"You shouldn't underestimate me, Doctor. I'm full of surprises."

The yawn erupting from Elena allowed her to take a moment to fall back down to the mattresses. "Spencer, in the most polite connotation possible… Shut up so that we can sleep."

"Wait."

Lou groaned as Spencer pulled her to a sitting position.

"Yes?" She drawled out, looking at Spencer with tired eyes. She desperately wanted to go to bed, but couldn't figure out why he was keeping her up.

But Spencer found the courage he was looking for.

"I have to tell you something."

Lou sighed, giving all her attention to him. "Okay, I'm listening."

Spencer's breath was deep before he spoke.

"Her name was Maeve."

He saw Lou's posture change, as she was now wide awake.

"I was suffering through severe migraines for some time. I'd been to see countless doctors, yet none of them could tell what was wrong. But Maeve could. She was a geneticist-"

"She was gifted." Ellie interrupted with a wide smile.

Spencer nodded, a ghost of a smile on his face. "Quite. She managed to create a prescription that eliminated my headaches."

"Riboflavin and magnesium." Lou mumbled. Spencer looked at her, shocked, before Elena blushed, hiding half of her face with one hand. "I saw it in your cabinet once. I've been wondering what it was for."

He couldn't keep the smile off of his face in that moment. "She got rid of my headaches completely. I don't what my mental stability would be if she hadn't accomplished what she did."

"How long were you two together?" She asked softly.

Reid smirked. "Depends on your definition of 'together'."

When Lou didn't respond, as she was patiently waiting for him to continue, Spencer found the will to carry on. "Ten months. But… We only spoke on the phone. Maeve was concerned that there was someone stalking her, and lived as a recluse until her stalker was in custody. I never saw her face-to-face until-"

He had to stop. Thinking of the situation after his extremely damaging nightmare was too emotional for Spencer to handle. Yet he needed Ellie to know what happened. He wanted to stop avoiding the elephant in the Lou know about Maeve felt as if he was healing something within himself, but he also knew it was extremely painful to open up the wounds that had barely healed.

"Hey."

His eyes flashed to Ellie's, tears in her eyes. "You're not ready to tell me."

"I _want_ to." Spencer said with conviction.

"I know." Lou soothed, holding onto his hand. "But you're only hurting yourself in the process."

"I'm not…" He trailed off, and Lou wanted to know what he was going to say.

"You're not what?" She asked.

He licked his lips, avoiding eye contact.

"I'm not… hurting you?"

Lou now had the evidence to confirm that Doctor Spencer Reid was the kindest man in the whole world. He was clearly suffering through major trauma in his life, yet he believed that his pain, his _excruciating_ pain that was so powerful he could barely talk about it, was effecting _her_. He looked at her with such concern, waiting for her response. But Lou couldn't find the words to tell him he was the only person in her life to care about her the way he did. It was hard putting together a string of sentences that evoked how much she treasured him. She was lost in her large vernacular, struggling to explain that the room in her Mind Manor labelled "**Dr. Spencer Reid**" wasn't a room; it was a doorway into another universe, too large to even grasp a sliver of what was inside.

So, Lou didn't use her words.

Her lips met his in an instant, and Lou struggled to maintain her composure. Sweet relief is all she felt as the soft texture of his lips put Ellie in a daze. Her hands came to rest on his chest as her lips didn't leave his. She was holding back her emotions for so long that actually _kissing_ Spencer unleashed a wave of euphoria within her. She would wonder if kissing him was as good as she imagined, and on her namesake she'd swear that it was the biggest understatement of her life. She couldn't get enough of Spencer, and that kiss (which lasted a month in Lou's mind) was barely enough to sedate her. The more she kissed him, the more she wanted to kiss him.

When Lou realized, however, that she was kissing Spencer _just_ after he told her about his dead girlfriend, she realized it was ill-timing on her part. She pulled away, gasping in the process.

"Oh… Spencer. I'm- I… I didn't- I didn't think-"

Ellie wasn't able to respond as Spencer's lips found hers again, his hands holding either side of her face. She was surprised at his actions, but soon pushed the thought out of her mind, her hands finding his collar as she grasped onto the fabric of his shirt, pulling him closer to her. His lips were tender as he was kissing her with such force Lou could barely breathe (she didn't _want _to breathe if she was able to kiss him more often).

Spencer's hands were on her waist, bringing her towards him as he was in the middle of the bed. He knew the dopamine and oxytocin would be released when meeting his lips with Ellie's, but he never knew how the chemical reactions would enlighten all of his other senses. He could feel Lou's skin grow warm. The hint of her perfume still assaulted him, overwhelming him in the scent of her. He could hear the tiny moan that escaped from Ellie. He thought of how the taste of her lips reminded him of the first cup of coffee in the morning: a delicious necessity. Yet, he didn't have to look at her to know she was the most beautiful woman he ever had the pleasure of kissing.

She kissed him once more before pulling away slightly, her hooded eyes finding his looking down at her.

"No." She whispered. "You're not hurting me."

His forehead met hers.

"I don't ever want to."

"You won't." She whispered, her breath combining with his. "You're not capable of it."

Spencer looked at her, desperate. "How do you know?"

Her hand went to his chest, the steady rhythm underneath her hand. "Because of what's in here."

"Ellie…" He couldn't hear her words. He didn't know if he could handle it.

"_No _Spencer. You're going to listen to what I have to say." She didn't dare hide her tears. "You. Have. A. _Heart. _And you have one that is much bigger than that brain of yours, and you know how big your brain is, and if you tell me otherwise I will not believe a word you say, because it is a blatant lie, and you cannot disprove my belief."

She looked at him, staring at his broken expression. He was conflicted with himself, and Lou now had another piece to understand why her Doctor had a shattered _heart_. She watched as he didn't say anything, reaching around her to fix the bed. He fluffed the pillow he offered to Elena, allowing her to rest her head before he laid the blanket over the both of them, lying down beside Lou. They were facing each other, Lou's eyes already closed as her exhaustion was taking over. Spencer took a moment to just _look_ at Ellie, the one person who fully believed that he still had a _heart_. He didn't understand why she did, but he'd be lying if the thought didn't make him happy.

He snaked his hand underneath the blanket, finding her fingers. He saw the corners of Lou's mouth turn up.

"Goodnight." He said to her.

"Good morning." She mumbled, already half-asleep.

Spencer wanted to stare at her the entire time she slept. Every time he thought he figured out all aspects of Elena Richardson, she would turn around and surprise him again. She made his thoughts scatter. She caused his pulse to race. She made him feel human. Ellie was beginning to be his solace in a world where the horrors of life were always on display. He waited another few minutes, listening to Elena's breaths even out, before he leaned over, placing a lingering kiss on her cheek. The one thought, the one that wasn't frantic, was the only one that made sense to him.

The thought that Ellie sleeping beside him somehow felt _right_.

"Sweet dreams," he whispered to her, knowing he wasn't going to fall back to sleep.

* * *

><p><em><strong>I didn't think they'd get to be so cute... and then I write this and actually squeal.<strong>_

**_Follow? Favourite? Review?_**

**_xoxo N. _**

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><p><em>Next Time: "Noah?"<em>


	19. Dix-Neuf

**_Hey Everyone!_**

**_Yes, I am a very horrible person and I should update more but life is a fickle bitch (for lack of a better word) and she always gets in the way. But not to fret! I am always here to bring you a glimmer of happiness when it's needed._**

**_Okay, eternally crying because there are 268 PEOPLE that ARE FOLLOWING THIS STORY EXCUSE ME WHILE I USE CAPS LOCK VICIOUSLY. WOW, YOU GUYS ARE MORE THAN AMAZING. I LOVE YOU ALL__._**

_**Special-Special Shoutouts to my loves **Rivermoon1970, Guest, Love-Fandom03, Sue1313, ripon, Dalonega Noquisi, Demona Evernight, gossamermouse101, fishtrek, 534667lc, MsRose91, lillakemonster98, Guest, Rosto'sGirl, Buck Wilde, MiaR, SilverNeira, Guest,** and **SuperCuteTomomi. **You are my rays of sunshine.**_

_**I leave you with a chapter.**_

_**Onward, and enjoy!**_

_**P.S. Nothing that is Criminal Minds belongs to me**_

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><p>Aaron didn't like being early. Even though he was always the first one in the office, he preferred to spend his mornings sharing a bowl of oatmeal with Jack. Hotch stared at the picture on his desk as he was sitting in his office. He realized how big his son was getting, growing up fast before his eyes. It was a bittersweet moment, knowing that with every second Jack was growing, he was growing up without his mother there, guiding him. Hotch knew he was doing the best he could being both mother and father to his son, but Aaron always worried about Jack's mental stability. Pushing his thoughts to the side, the agent went back to the file sitting in front of him, filling out all the paperwork from the Troyer case.<p>

One of his habits early in the morning was being able to decipher what was happening in the bullpen, based off of the sounds coming from his open door. JJ was always the one to start the first pot of coffee, the whistle of steam coming from the machine started twenty minutes after he walked into his office. The sound of photocopies could be heard from the corner of the office, as Anderson was diligently making copies of cases for the other BAU teams. Garcia's heels made a soft noise through the glass doors as Penelope's steps echoed in the hallway.

Laughing, on the other hand, was something new to the bullpen's typical morning.

Not wanting to snoop, his curiosity got the better of him as he walked towards his window, peeking out from the side of the frame. The resident genius was sitting at his desk, yet the only difference was that the resident consultant was beside him, sitting in a chair. _He's not supposed to be here._ Hotch thought, remembering that Reid was shot the previous day. _Stubborn kid._

Hotch watched as Reid reached into the drawer of his desk. There was a syringe filled with water on the table as Spencer placed a film canister on the surface beside the syringe. Hotch knew exactly what Reid was doing as he grabbed his antacid tablets, breaking off a bit before mixing the two ingredients together in the small plastic tube. The two individuals waited for the inevitable before Lou squealed in surprise as the canister was launched clear across the room, Hotch also being amazed at the distance the makeshift rocket reached. Aaron looked at the proud face of Spencer before looking at Lou's hanging jaw. He saw the professor's lips form the words "_do it again_" before Reid ran from his spot to grab the projectile. Hotch also noticed that the shirt Lou was wearing was a bit larger for her frame, and oddly familiar. It was as if Reid had the same shirt. What was even odder, was the fact that Hotch was pretty sure that specific shade of purple was the same shade of one of Spencer's dress shirts.

He stopped his thought process immediately. He knew if he profiled the two geniuses' behaviours, Hotch would deduce that the two individuals were _much_ friendlier than on a normal day. Walking over to shut his office door, he pushed the theory of Lou spending the night at Spencer's out of his brain.

(Even though Hotch was pretty sure he knew what happened the previous night.)

[ + ]

"How did you figure out the ratio so easily on the first try?"

"Frequent trial and error." Spencer was fixing another rocket as he spoke to Elena. He was comfortable in showing her his _physics magic_ in the office at that hour, looking at the empty bullpen. "It depends on the specific brand of the antacid, including the temperature of the water. Also, I've noticed that if I substitute regular water with filtered water, it increases its projection to an estimated four inches."

"Brilliant." Lou leaned closer towards Spencer, watching him quickly shake the canister before placing it upside down. "The suspense is killing me."

"Watch." He whispered in excitement, seeing the bubbles fizzle at the bottom. In an instant, the canister was launched into the air. Lou held her scream, her eyes following the projectile heading directly upwards. Spencer and Lou shared the same look of fear as the small black object was now dangerously close to the roof, flying at a much faster pace than every other attempt. The rocket hit the top of the ceiling, and both the doctor and the professor ignored the falling object, focusing on the black mark on the roof.

"I didn't factor that outcome." Spencer mumbled to himself.

Lou was teasing in her tone. "You just defaced government property."

"What- I _barely_ scraped it."

"But you did." Ellie was desperately trying to hide her smile as she pointed upwards. "Now there is evidence that you broke the law."

"It is a miniscule mark on the _ceiling_." Spencer hid the rest of the items on the table, hoping Hotch hadn't caught his earlier actions. "Who will take the time to inspect the entire roof?"

"Several individuals. Of course, this being _after _I've pointed out the mark."

Spencer stopped his actions, turning to face a humourous Elena. "Aren't you a bit _too _devious at this hour?"

"It must be the coffee."

Reid could attest to that notion, looking at how Elena's caffeine consumption was regulated by several small cups of green tea on a daily basis. The abnormally huge cup in her hand went against Lou's daily routine, but the professor made an exception that morning as Spencer noticed the slight bags underneath Lou's eyes. He also realized that sugar was the accomplice to the caffeine, leading to her rowdiness as Elena drank her extra-large vanilla-flavoured creamer with a hint of coffee. "You're sure it's not the sucrose running through your veins?"

"The barista said the creamer was made with aspartame."

"Which, if you, an average woman, were to consume fifty milligrams per two point two pounds, it would equal to twenty cans of diet soda."

Lou shrugged. "Still better."

Spencer gave her a levelled stare. "Better than the three additional bags of brown sugar you placed in your cup when I wasn't looking?"

Lou acted as if she had no knowledge of what he was saying, shrugging her shoulders in shock. "How could you have seen what I was doing if you weren't looking?"

Spencer almost lost his composure. She was pinpointing on his choice of words in order to deviate from the topic at hand. _She is an English professor after all_.

"My mistake. When you _thought_ I wasn't looking."

"Well-" Lou began to say, but knowing how much she hated when Spencer lied, went for the alternative. She knew better than to not listen to what she preached. "It's better than regular processed sugar."

"You do realize you are the prime example of potential cavities."

"I have great dental insurance."

Spencer's eyes didn't deviate from Lou's gaze as she raised the cup of coffee to her lips. Those lips were ones that Spencer, finally, knew how they felt. Two blush-coloured lips that caused Spencer to fall in a rut, unable to escape from the turmoil he was falling in. He wanted to kiss her again, littering small pecks all over her face. At the same time, he wanted to pull her flush against him, molding his lips with hers with such force, he'd cause Lou's lips to turn blue. Ellie's tongue darted out from her mouth, catching a stray drop of coffee. The motion caused Spencer to think of what it would be like to feel her tongue with his own.

_I kissed her_, Spencer thought to himself in disbelief. He still couldn't fathom _how_ the best possible thing that could happen, did happen. It wasn't a common occurrence to Spencer, with actually getting what he wanted. He knew to not take it for granted.

_I kissed her._

_I kissed her._

_I kissed her._

"Thank you." Spencer said after a quiet moment.

Lou knew he was referring to spending the night at his place. "You don't have to thank me. If you ever need me, I'll come."

"Do you promise?" He asked, hopeful.

Elena smiled, holding out her pinky towards her Doctor, watching his eyes light up. He leaned forward in his chair, reaching out towards Elena's invitation before wrapping his little finger around Lou's pinky. Both the doctor and the professor had matching grins on their face the exact moment that Derek Morgan and Penelope Garcia walked into the bullpen. The Queen and her loyal subject took a moment to witness the two geniuses having their own moment with their interlocked fingers. Penelope couldn't keep her eyes off of Lou and Spencer. The worry that she carried for Spencer's happiness was appeased the second she saw the wide smile on the good doctor's face. Both Garcia and Derek watched Lou roll her seat closer to Spencer, in the middle of what seemed to be a very important conversation.

"I am going to drown in their sea of adorableness." Penelope whispered to Derek as they were approach the two _lovebirds_. The woman who was currently embodying the colour aquamarine looked at her new friend, exciting to see her choice of wardrobe that morning. When she noticed the skirt and dress shirt combination, Garcia stopped in her tracks, causing Morgan to pause along with her. Derek was curious as Penny stared at the two, her jaw dropping in shock.

"Garcia?"

"That's Reid's shirt." Garcia's smile was growing on her face, looking at Lou's attire. "That is Reid's shirt. I have seen him wear that shirt on five occasions, at minimum."

Derek still wasn't picking up on what Garcia was saying. "What's wrong with Reid's shirt?"

The coy smile was beaming off of her face. "I'm not talking about the shirt _Reid's_ wearing."

Garcia's chocolate dream boat turned his head to figure out what Penelope meant. The only other person beside Spencer was Lou. Upon further inspection, Derek noticed the shirt was quite loose on the professor. It hit Derek in that moment, remembering the same purple shirt that Spencer was wearing a week or two prior to that morning. His knowing smile was shared with Garcia. The two watched Lou stand from her seat, resting her hand on Spencer's shoulder, before walking towards the glass doors.

Lou, unlike Spencer, picked up on the vibe the two best friends were portraying. "What's with the grins?"

"What?" Penelope answered a bit too fast.

"Those conniving grins." Elena's index finger pointed towards Morgan, shifting to Penelope. "You guys are onto something."

"Nothing." Garcia was clipped with her words, standing beside Lou to hook her arm around the professor's elbow as Penelope began walking, taking Lou along with her before quickly leaving the office. "I'm a smiley person. I smile. A lot. No sinister undertones with these pearly whites…"

Lou couldn't say anything as Garcia was continuing her rant. Before she left Morgan's line of sight, Elena ran a finger over her eyebrow before pointing at the profiler. Derek chuckled to himself, watching as Lou was being dragged by Penelope. He walked towards Spencer's desk. His curious nature caused his questions to sit at the tip of his tongue, waiting for the perfect opportunity to tease the doctor. He noticed, however, Spencer was in a daze, blankly staring off into space with a smile on his face. Derek hated disturbing Reid's thoughts (especially when the kid looked so _happy_), but he also couldn't help but wonder why Spencer was so happy. Sitting on his desk, Reid's eyes shifted to Morgan, who was to the left of him.

"What was that?" Derek asked.

"What was what?" Reid responded, having a general idea of what Morgan _might_ say.

"You think I missed that huge smile on your face?" He wasn't pulling any punches towards Spencer. "Or, the fact that Little Lou is currently wearing _your_ shirt."

The genius sat straight in his seat, picking up a folder. "She needed one."

Derek's smile reached his ears. "What happened to hers?"

Reid felt something in Derek's tone. He remembered having a conversation with Lou about sexual innuendos. Often, they would make very vague comments leading to the underlying picture. She showed him how it was quite easy to phrase a normal sentence, in a way that the connotation of the words would change. He could figure out what Derek meant most of the time, but the way he was being teased at the moment left Spencer to realize the true horror of his position. Taken out of context, Lou wearing Spencer's shirt would lead to the belief that Lou spent the night at his home for… _other_ intended purposes.

He paled at Morgan's innuendo, placing the file back on the desk.

"She forgot hers."

Morgan's expression turned shocked.

"I called her-" Spencer blurted out before Derek could make any more assumptions, "-because I was having… a hard time." Reid ignored his friend's concerned look as he continued explaining. "She came to my house. We spent the night talking before Ellie fell asleep."

"That's all you did?" Derek plainly asked, knowing that Spencer's smile earlier couldn't have resulted in _just_ a night of conversations. Reid was _too_ happy to spend the night only holding her hand. When Reid tried hiding his smile by shifting his mouth to one side, Derek knew that something must have happened between the two geniuses. "Reid?"

The doctor licked his lips before scratching the back of his head, trying to distract the elated emotion blossoming in his chest long enough for him to get the words out properly.

"We... kissed."

Reid watched Morgan's mouth hang wide open. Derek laughed in disbelief before standing up to walk back to his desk. Looking at the Boy Wonder himself, he wouldn't believe it. Spencer had game. He didn't think the kid had it in him to take a risk, one as such as call a woman _late_ at night. Reid barely spoke to the opposite gender. But then again, Derek realized, Spencer was dealing with Lou. Little Lou, the brilliant, sweet woman who was the most badass person in his eyes. Morgan was happy for Spencer. He was slowly moving on with his life, and that was all Derek could ask for.

"Doctor Reid… Playa_, playa_."

[ + ]

Lou knew coffee was a bad idea. In order for the coffee to work, she must keep drinking coffee. The professor/consultant was sitting in one of the lunch rooms: a cup of liquid sugar in one hand, a large book in the other, with her phone sitting on the table. Lou couldn't wait to go home. When she did, she was pouring a huge bowl of dog food for Dexter, before heading straight to her bed. She focused on reading _The Jungle Book_, trying to push the one thought out of her head. The one thought, that specific bug in her brain named "_Dr. Spencer Reid_", just _wouldn't_ leave. Before she met the doctor, she was able to multitask easily while working. Lecture, read, watch the students, and plan dinner was a typical day for Lou. Even when she was with _Douchebag McGee_ (she really did like Caroline's nickname for him), she was still able to push him out of her mind.

But Spencer always had to be the exception.

When she looked at the files earlier, each sentence began to trail off, causing Elena to think of the way Spencer would speak of a topic, and continue, and continue, _and_ continue until he finished his point. When Lou's eyes looked at the coffee cup, sitting in the garbage beside the desk, she chuckled at she recalled Spencer's look of astonishment when she uttered "_extra, extra sweet_", ordering her already sweetened coffee. Looking down at _his_ shirt, she remembered how Spencer woke her up that morning.

It was the best morning that Lou had in a long time.

The first thing she felt when she woke up was his fingers on her cheek, slowly pushing away the hair from her face. She muttered something unintelligible before opening her eyes to his smiling face. "_We'll be late_," Spencer whispered to her, while Lou was half-asleep, lying in bed. After finding out that Lou did not pack every article of clothing she needed, even though she was over packed, Spencer didn't hesitate as he grabbed the closest shirt in his closet, giving it to her. It was big on her, but she felt extremely comfortable in his _aubergine _shirt (calling the shirt purple didn't do it justice). She was surprised at how colourful Spencer's wardrobe was, reminiscing on the past events as Jennifer chose that moment to walk past the break room, taking a step back when she saw Lou.

"That looks like a good read." JJ walked into the office, pulling Lou out of her thoughts.

"Rudyard Kipling is always a good read. Or re-read for that matter." Lou put the book down, giving her undivided attention to Jennifer. JJ sat beside Elena on the couch.

"Can I ask a question?" JJ waited for Lou's nod. "Why do you re-read books if you have an eidetic memory?"

Elena shrugged. "For the aesthetics of it. While I enjoy the actual act of reading, I am also fond of looking at texts I've read in a different mindset, one that wasn't as broadened as before, changing my outlook on the storyline and its characters completely, finding interesting notions about social topics and influences-"

"Lou." JJ stared at Lou, cutting her off. She watched as the professor wrinkled her nose in frustration.

"Damn it. I'm rambling again. I thought I had a hold on that."

Jennifer leaned over, resting a comforting hand on Lou's forearm. "It's what makes you special, Lou. Embrace it."

"Thanks." Lou looked over JJ's features. "And thanks for stopping on what would have been a tangent."

"Think nothing of it. Between Spence's specific interpretations of everything, to Henry's day in painstaking detail, I'd say I'm pretty used to them."

Lou remembered the sweet boy with his playful smile. "How is Henry?"

The smile was automatic on JJ's face. "He's good. A couple of days ago, he was being a handful, but now he's better."

"I wouldn't think Henry is troublesome."

"Only when Mommy and Daddy want to go on a date." Jennifer mumbled to herself, running a hand through her hair out of habit.

Elena placed her cup on the table, turning in her spot to face the profiler. "JJ, if you need a babysitter, know that I'm available for a Friday night."

"You really don't have to." JJ said.

"I'd be more than happy to spend an evening with Henry." Lou was genuine in her response.

"Fair warning, you'd be spending night watching Disney movies."

JJ watched Lou shrug. "Certainly wouldn't be the first time."

Elena saw Jennifer's eyebrows furrow, hiding her own smile. "I'm a specialist on _Children's Literature_, JJ. I thought it would be obvious that I'm well aware of every version of a fable."

Jennifer smiled. "Don't let Henry figure out you enjoy watching them. He'd want to keep you around."

"I'll make sure of it."

"_But-_" JJ cut in, "-keep your Fridays in January open, because we're having a girls night."

"Girl's night?" Lou tried hiding her excited tone.

"You, Penelope, Kate, and I, some good music, and _a lot_ of good alcohol." JJ was smiling wide, taking in how Lou's eyes were wide.

"Quick head's up… I'm a complete lightweight."

JJ shushed Lou before the professor could expose more. "Don't say that out loud. Garcia might hear you, and she will most likely give you the worst hangover in the morning."

"You speak from experience." Lou watched JJ shake her head.

"Trust me, I've had to live through the worst headaches of my life because of PGNO."

"P.G.N.O?" Elena asked, confusd.

"'_Penelope Garcia's Night Out_'."

"Ah. I see."

"Speaking of 'night out'." Jennifer shifted closer to Lou. "I'm assuming that last night turned out to be better than expected?"

It was Lou's turn to be confused. "What do you mean?"

All Jennifer did was smile, before pointing to the shirt Lou was wearing. "I've seen Spence wear that maybe ten, eleven times?"

Elena paled at JJ's words. She figured out what the profiler deduced about the situation.

"_N__o._ No, nothing happened of the sort-"

"Cheeks flushed, deviating eye contact, nervous tap… You are hiding something, Professor."

"Well…" Lou noticed her fingers were itching to twist one another. "I… I kissed him. But then he kissed me. So I don't know if that was our _first_ kiss or our first two kisses because I'm conflicted with separating each moment or actually summing up the whole situation as one event-"

"_Lou_."

"Yes, I'm ranting, but JJ, I have been _dying_ to burst and tell someone because I've only kissed two people in my life, and _holy_ did Spencer kissing me feel absolutely nothing like my other kisses-"

"_Lou!_" JJ practically, shouted, stopping Lou from continuing. The profiler held Lou's phone in her hand, the screenname "_The Lion_" over the picture of a cartoon skull with 'X's over the eyes.

"Noah?"

The professor was hesitant to answer the phone, grabbing the pink item out of JJ's hand. She thought it odd that _Sir _Noah Bennett, eternal jackass, would call her so early in the month. The sadistic individual made sure that every December 23rd, the day Lou ended their relationship for good, Noah would call her to remind her of how being without him was the "_most moronic decision she made in the long line of her stupid choices_". Lou figured out too late that he was power hungry, and he loved getting his power from Lou's submission. Knowing that if she didn't answer the phone would only make him act spitefully, while relentlessly calling her non-stop.

_He's too chicken to physically confront me._

_Coward._

She put the phone to her ear, answering the unwelcomed call.

"What."

"_Jesus, Lou. Not even a polite greeting._"

Lou hated how his voice sounded. "Since when did you deserve one?"

"_You always did preach about how every human deserved to be treated equally_."

"And you always preached on how you were more than human."

She heard his horrid chuckle. "_You got me there, Lou._"

"What do you want, Noah?" Elena saw Jennifer's concerned eyes staring her down, listening to Lou's guarded voice.

"_Just wanted to wish you a Merry Christmas._"

Lou knew he meant something _more_ than that. "Out of all the things you could say, _that's_ what you're going with? Also, for your privy information, you're nineteen days early than your annual harassment."

"_I know. Due to recent events, I've had the reschedule our little conversation._"

"What joy."

"_I hope you like your gift_."

Lou didn't use vulgar words, but it was _Noah_ after all. "I mean this in the most polite manor, but I hope you shove it so far up your ass, you'll taste the ribbon."

His tone was low, almost threatening. Lou wasn't afraid of his intimidating moves. "_That's not a tone I want to hear_."

"Then hear the dial tone, _Mister_ Bennett."

Her finger was on the end button before she could say anything else to antagonize him. Lou always knew words could be wielded as a weapon. When she was very little, she wouldn't cry out and throw a tantrum like other children when they didn't receive what they wanted. Little Lou was cunning in her revenge, using tactics such as bargaining to get her desired outcome. When she got older, however, she learned the fantastic notions of wit and sarcasm, and Lou's words were now carefully chosen poisons in her world of psychological manipulation. Elena was never extremely strong, but she was built with a heart that carried the strength of a thousand men. She knew how to fight, but always chose which battles were worth it.

A fight with Noah?

_Always worth it_.

"Are you okay?"

Lou snapped back to JJ, who was on the verge of wrapping the professor in a huge hug. "That didn't seem like a pleasant conversation."

Elena sighed. "It wasn't."

When she took in Jennifer's concerned expression, she knew she should come forward. "A past boyfriend of mine calls me once a year, every year, for the past seven years." Lou held the phone up to JJ. "He decided today was a good day, which is odd."

"Why is that?" JJ's instincts were on high alert.

"Well, he always calls on the twenty third, every year."

The profiler knew to be on her toes. "It's the fourth."

"Which is why I found it strange. But Noah is… a sociopath, to put it lightly."

Lou watched JJ's eyes widen.

"If you're wondering if he'd hurt me… No, not physically. Noah is a coward. He could never face me when we were fighting." The professor smirked. "I was the only woman to stand up to him. He tries to hurt me through psychological torture, which I've grown immune to."

"Did he say anything that was different than his other calls?"

Lou shook her head. "Typical offended tone, narcissistic tendencies, threatening… Nope, he's still Douchebag McGee."

"Uh…what?" JJ looked at Lou, extremely confused.

Elena grabbed her coffee. "Caroline's name for him. I'm quite fond of it. Especially when he called to wish me a '_Merry Christmas_'."

JJ kept her face from exposing any emotion. "Does he usually do that?"

The professor shrugged her shoulders. "Not recently. But, it's my second favourite holiday. He knows it's a _very_ close second to Halloween."

Jennifer shifted in her seat, a new thought popping into her brain. "Did he sound meaner than he usually did?" Lou took a second to think about it before nodding. "Do you usually receive gifts from him?" Another nod from the professor.

"Lou… Does he have anything of yours?"

Elena closer her eyes, walking through her Mind Manor, towards one of the closets in the back entrance. "_**Things Forever Lost**,_" was etched on a gold plate, beside the door. It was a specific cupboard for the objects that nostalgic Lou lost to Noah Bennett. She opened the door, looking at every item sitting on the dusty shelves. The matching locket to her mother's. Her first copy of her argument defending her thesis for her Ph.D. in English. Her favourite baseball glove. Pictures of her grandmother. Pictures of her grandfather. Keys to Rosie's sister, a 1974 Ford Mustang (_Blue_, Lou thought of fondly, missing her other car). Her favourite picture of her father and her. The-

("_Grandmama, what's this?_")

Lou stopped, figuring out all the pieces to Noah's twisted puzzle.

("_My sweet, are you sure you want to know about that?_")

"Lou?" JJ's voice echoed throughout the atrium of the manor. Elena's eyes couldn't deviate from the specific spot on the shelf.

("_Please, Grandmama, tell me!_")

"Elena." Jennifer calling her by name caused Lou to open her eyes.

("_Well, my dear, this is a doorway._")

"He-"

("_A doorway to what?_")

Elena took a moment to close her eyes, keeping the tears a bay.

"He has something."

("_A doorway to a wonderful place called Oz._")

* * *

><p><em><strong>Review? Favourite? Follow?<strong>_

_**Until next time...**_

_**xoxo N. **_

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><p><em>Next Time: "...Derek, is that mistletoe?<em>"


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